Instinct
by ScarredSerafim
Summary: Frendship is a complex thing, right? You think your friend is the person in front of you but have you ever looked behind? You may be surprised to find that the your worst enemy can become your true friend. If that happens, though, a lot of bad things could follow. (This is not a story, featuring TLK characters; it's original story in TLK style.)
1. Chapter 1

**A cu****st****om**

Under the big orange sky, highlighted by the burning red sun, there is a place on Earth where life and death are inextricably linked. Here, every living thing finds in its heart that, although this place hides danger and grief, it also brings comfort and protection for those who are willing to accept it.

This place is called Africa.

The name, strong and majestic, reaches your heart and makes it go wild. The grass is higher than foot, the air is cleaner than silver, and life is richer than the stars.

But every day in that bittersweet place is a constant battle for survival. To gain one more day, you have to fight for the right to live.

It may sound harsh... but isn't the truth?

_Malaika… Malaika!_

"Mmm? What?"

"You were daydreaming again."

"Sorry, Dad. I just can't get enough of this sight. Could you repeat again?"

"Hmm…"

Two of the most beautiful and majestic animals on Earth were standing in the open savannah. A lion cub and his father. Admiring the sunset, they stayed close to one another, enjoying the magical moment.

"You know, Malaika, that I am not going to be here for ever. You need to learn these things now for your own sake," said the big carnivore, in a booming, yet gentle voice.

"I know, Dad," the cub replied sheepishly, looking down at the ground.

The lion sighed, staring at the landscape.

"Your first hunt is only three moons away. I want you to be prepared for it." The lion turned to his son, who was still focused on the ground below.

"In every lion's life comes the time when he has to leave and start his own pride. That's why I want you to know how important this is for your future, son."

Father and son looked at each other for a moment, before Malaika broke the trance.

"But, Dad... I don't want to leave," the cub moaned desperately. "Everyone I know and love is here. What if I _never_ make my own pride?" He seemed afraid.

"Then you would live like a rogue," the father told his son, who could only stare in shock.

The large predator noticed this, and continued speaking.

"But that's not going to happen. Don't be afraid. I am sure you will have a pride that will love and respect you." He smiled.

"Like our pride respects _you_?" the cub asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," the lion answered in a low voice. It sounded like a growl, but the smile on his face showed that this was not so.

"Remember, son. We are what we are and we have to live like we are supposed to. Until…" The lion turned his head up towards the sky.

"Until what, dad?" Malaika asked, expecting his father to finish his speech.

"Until we join the stars," the king finished. The cub followed his father's gaze. The stars were only just starting to show on the horizon, but the view was still astounding.

"Son," the beast began, regarding his cub, "in all these years, this is the toughest decision I have ever had to make."

If you ever saw a lion, you would know the expression that they make when they are sad. It was the same exact expression Malaika's father adapted as he was speaking to his cub.

"I am the last animal in the world who would want to chase you out. I don't even know if I would have the strength to do it." He looked down in despair and pain.

"But it's something I cannot dismiss. It's a custom our ancestors invented, and I have to continue the tradition. Even if I feel like I am stabbed in the heart with a wildebeest's horn every time I remember what I have to do." The troubled lion was staring into his cub's eyes as he made his confession.

Malaika noticed his troubled father's pained look, and placed his small paw upon his big one.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'm not going to disappoint you. I'll lead the strongest pride in the savannah. I promise!" the cub reassured his father.

The lion's lips curved into a smile, but then changed back to a frown again.

"Your mother was going to be very proud of you." The king's eyes were focused on the now purple sky; the indicator that it was nightfall. The stars shone brighter than usual that night. "Come on. It's getting late."

And with that the lion and his son headed back towards their pride.

"Dad?" Malaika broke the silence.

"Mmm?" his father mumbled.

"Will you show me how to hunt?" the cub asked eagerly.

"Of course, Malaika. You have to be prepared for you first hunt, after all."

"That would be so cool! I'll hunt wildebeests, and zebras, and…" The little lion was so excited that he started to stutter.

"Calm down," his father laughed. "You have to learn something first."

"What is it, Dad?" The cub awaited the answer with an open mouth and big eyes.

"You have to respect the animals you kill. If it wasn't for them, then you would die," the king taught.

"But, Dad, we eat them. Isn't _that_ disrespectful to them?" Malaika was too young to understand the lesson.

"No, son. It's not. We eat them to stay alive. And when we die, we become the grass. And what do _they_ eat?" The big lion wanted his son to answer the question.

"The grass…" Malaika's eyes widened. He finally understood. "They eat us, too…"

"That's right. We are all part of the Circle of Life. Always remember that, and _never_ make them suffer," his father advised.

"Okay, Dad," the cub replied. "I'll remember."

And the Lion King and his son continued towards their home in the cloudless night.

But they didn't know that someone had been watching them.

A pair of golden eyes tracked the two figures as they disappeared from view. The eyes shone like a pair of flashlights in the dark. A very intimidating sight.

"Enjoy your reign, Kingy," said a gruff voice.

And then the piercing eyes disappeared.

Malaika and his father arrived at their home, greeted by all of the lionesses that were waiting for them. There was only one other male in the pride besides the king and his son. There was also another cub.

"Oh, _there _you are," said one of the lionesses. "We were starting to worry about you two."

"I forgot about the time," the king laughed.

The male came to the king. He had a brown pelt and blond mane. Just the opposite to the king's.

"Hekima... you talked with him, didn't you?" he whispered.

"Yes, Ndugu. We had the talk," Hekima said loudly, as though he had nothing to hide from or be afraid of. Like a real king.

"So everything is all right, then?" the lion asked. Malaika's father nodded.

Ndugu looked at the cub and scuffed his head.

"Are you excited, Malaika?" he laughed.

"Uncle Ndugu!" the cub protested, as he escaped from his uncle's grip. "You know I hate when you do that!" Malaika rubbed his head.

"I know." The brown lion chuckled and the king joined in.

"Let's go in the den. It's getting cold, and we're starving," one of the lionesses suggested.

"We killed a zebra earlier, but we decided to wait for you," another added.

"Great. I'm so hungry I could eat it all myself!" Malaika exclaimed.

"Okay. Let's go, everyone," the king commanded

The pride headed towards the den's entrance. They devoured the whole zebra in no time. By the time dinner was over, all of them were lying lazily, full to bursting. It wasn't long before a lot of them fell asleep.

Malaika sat in the corner, finishing off the zebra's leg when the other cub walked up to him.

"Are you okay?" the cub asked, noticing that Malaika didn't look very happy.

"Yeah. I'm okay," he answered simply.

"You wanna play?" the cub suggested with smile, trying to cheer his friend up.

"No, thanks, Kidogo. I'm tired and I want some sleep. Maybe in the morning." Malaika left the bone to the side and rested his head on his paws.

"Oh. Okay, then. Goodnight!" said Kidogo, and he also went to his sleeping spot, where he fell asleep almost instantly.

Malaika chuckled. He closed his eyes, and then drifted off himself.

The king was still awake.

He was concerned about his son. _Am I a bad father if I have to chase out my own child?_

His thoughts were interrupted by someone.

"It's hard, isn't it?" said his brother, lying down next to him.

"I don't know if I can do it, Ndugu. I lost Huba... I don't want to lose him, too. He's everything I have," Hekima confessed.

Ndugu nuzzled his brother, trying to comfort him.

"Hey, you still have us. Besides, you wouldn't lose him. He'll be alive and well, leading a pride of his own," Malaika's uncle said.

"I know. But still… I'm going to miss him." The big lion shed a tear.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Ndugu nuzzled his brother once again. "My nephew is strong enough."

"I hope you are right, Ndugu," Hekima said, putting his head on his paws. "I hope you're right."

And soon, he fell asleep, too.

**A/N: I know, I know. Why I've deleted my stories? It's simple. I want to start clean and I think this is the best way.**

**This story won't follow the life of any of **_**The Lion King**_** characters so if you are looking for that, this is not the place.**

**I want to thank again to **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**___**for agreeing to beta-read this story.**

"**You are awesome!"**

**If you're searching for a beta-reader then don't waste time! Ask **_**him**_**. It's the best choice and honestly, it's the closest you could get to a professional help.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Rogue**_

Malaika woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that he was the only one in the den. All alone. Everybody else must have gone somewhere. Lifting himself up, he slowly left the cave.

But then he saw something that he couldn't possibly understand.

All of the lionesses were stood outside. Like statues. Unmoving. It didn't even look like they were breathing. They were simply watching something.

"Um... excuse me." Malaika prodded one of the lionesses, but she didn't even flinch. He stared into her eyes; they had a hypnotized expression. The cub followed her gaze.

What he saw was horrific.

His father and a lion were fighting fiercely. There was blood spattered everywhere. The rogue was much stronger, and far more vicious; he easily overpowered Hekima.

Malaika stared in utter shock.

"Dad?" he whispered.

The rogue raised his paw and slashed the king's head, slicing off skin and fur. Hekima screamed in pain.

"_Dad!_"

The cub started running towards his father, desperate to help.

But halfway there, he just stopped. He couldn't move. No matter how hard he tried, Malaika felt paralysed. The lionesses simply stood there, doing nothing.

"No…" Malaika breathed. "No! Leave him alone!" He was screamed at the rogue, who didn't even seem to notice that he existed. He just continued to attack the king.

And it was then that Malaika saw the most horrifying thing of all. Something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

The king fell to the ground, unable to fight anymore. He was covered in numerous wounds, fur stained with blood.

But this sign of defeat wasn't good enough for the rogue.

He started clawing and ripping off parts of his flesh. Hekima was howling in agony, but this only made the rogue happier. The intensity of the hits increased.

"_Dad!_" Malaika fell to the ground, yelling in fear, tears flowing from his eyes. However, this was all in vain.

Chunks of skin and muscle were torn from the king's body, exposing his innards. His whole face had been clawed away. It was a sight that nobody would want to look at. Not even for a second.

The ruthless rogue then made the situation even more disgusting.

He started eating the dead king.

That expression from Malaika that followed was indescribable.

The cub was powerless to do anything. He could only stare at the awful image.

The rogue lifted his head from the corpse, his muzzle smothered with blood. His eyes met Malaika's, locking him into his stare. He smiled evilly.

"_Remember… Remember…_" he repeated, stalking the frightened cub.

Malaika tried to run - but his legs wouldn't listen to him.

Suddenly, the lionesses - which hadn't moved an inch during the whole thing - started walking towards Malaika as well, hissing in unison. "_Remember! Remember!_"

He looked around, searching for any possible exit - but there was no escape.

And finally, Hekima's rotting corpse rose from the ground, joining in with the chant. "_Remember… Remember…_" he said in a hoarse voice, his mangled body limping towards the terrified cub.

They formed a circle around him, stopping. But the chant did not cease. "_Remember!_"

Flames sprouted from the ground, taking hold of Malaika and immolating him. The cub wailed.

_Malaika! Malaika, wake up!_

Malaika woke, panting uncontrollably.

"Hey, it's okay... it's okay..." His father was consoling him. "It was just a nightmare." Hekima nuzzled his frightened son.

The cub recovered slightly. As soon as he saw his father, he immediately clutched him tight.

"Okay, okay, I'm here," Hekima said. "Calm down."

After a few moments, Malaika regained control and let go of his father's mane.

"It was really bad... wasn't it?" the king asked rhetorically.

"It was horrible," Malaika whispered, the vivid images replaying in his mind.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the king offered.

"No," was the only response from the cub.

Hekima glanced at Malaika, and then at the horizon. The sun was just starting to come up.

"Hey, I know what will cheer you up," Hekima smiled, but his son only stared questioningly.

"Come," the golden lion urged.

Malaika got up and followed his father outside. They eventually reached a little hill. Hekima sat down, waiting for his son to join him.

The cub was still a little dazed from the nightmare. However, as soon as he stepped into the light, he felt blinded. But as his eyes slowly adjusted, his jaw fell.

The sun was just up, highlighting the clouds from the bottom and causing them to throw shafts of light towards the ground. It was magical. The grass was like gold, reflecting the rays. The soft breeze gently stroked the king's mane.

Malaika stared in amazement.

"Wow…" Malaika exhaled amazed, sitting next to Hekima.

"This is our kingdom, Malaika. Everything you see," the king said in a low voice, smooth as silk.

"It's beautiful!" the golden cub replied, awestruck.

Hekima gazed at the endless horizon.

"Somewhere out there is _your_ kingdom, my son," the golden father told him. "It's waiting for you." He smiled at Malaika. "To be its king, and protect it."

"Will my kingdom be like yours?" the cub asked hopefully.

"Your kingdom may even _exceed_ mine." Hekima stroked his son's back. "In fact, I'm sure it will."

Malaika's smile grew wider upon hearing those words.

"But you need to pass your first hunt," his father reminded him. He smirked. "So, I think you need a few lessons."

"Cool! When do we start?" Malaika asked, unable to contain his excitement.

"Right…_now_!" The king said, and begam running with a laugh.

Malaika just stayed where he was.

"Come on!" his father called.

Immediately, the energetic cub jumped up and started chasing his father. They ran together across the golden savannah. Malaika finally reached Hekima, pouncing on him. They rolled across the ground together, laughing.

They played all day, until they both were too tired to continue.

"That was good," his father said, breathing heavily. "But you have to use the element of surprise."

In that moment, a mouse scuttled past them.

"Here's your chance," said the king quietly. "Be silent, and stay low to the ground."

Malaika slowly and carefully stalked the mouse.

"Easy, easy," Hekima guided. "Prepare yourself."

The cub was in perfect position. Tensing himself up and moving his shoulder blades, he waited.

"_Now!_" the king commanded.

Malaika leapt from his hiding spot and caught the mouse, making it squeal in surprise.

"Good leap," Hekima complimented.

Malaika happily reached his father with the mouse in his mouth. But Hekima then noticed blood dripping from the mouse; the small thing was screaming in pain.

"No, no, Malaika," said the king, testing his son. "Don't you remember what I said?"

Malaika was confused. He had no idea what he'd done wrong.

"_Never_ make them suffer. Kill them immediately. Would you like to be in this mouse's place?" Hekima asked, his eyes locked on the mouse in his son's mouth.

It was only now that the cub heard the creature's pain, and he felt bad for it. He bit down harder, ending its miserable life instantly. He dropped the small thing.

"Sorry, Dad..." Malaika said, staring down at the ground in shame.

"You don't need to apologies to me," he replied in a low voice.

"But remember this: just because we are the predators, it doesn't mean we have own all rights to these creatures' life." Hekima explained. "If it wasn't for them, we would die. We need to respect them, and _never _torture them for our own personal enjoyment."

"Okay, Dad," Malaika said quietly. "You're not mad at me, are you?" He looked uncertain.

"Mad?" Hekima was confused. "Of course not. Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I…" Malaika's gaze shifted to the mouse's bloody, crushed, lifeless body.

"Don't worry about it," the king reassured him. "Just don't let it rot for nothing."

Malaika nodded and picked up the mouse, starting to eat it. When he finished, he licked his muzzle and turned to Hekima.

"Now I _know_ you'll do great on the first hunt." The king smiled warmly at his child.

"Thank you, Dad." Malaika nuzzled his father. Hekima put his paw around him in return.

"How touching," a gruff voice said.

"Who's there?" Hekima growled.

"_I_ am."

A huge lion with a red mane and piercing golden eyes emerged from the shadows.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my kingdom?" the king demanded, still growling, taking a protective stance in front of his son.

Malaika looked terrified. Because he knew something that Hekima didn't.

This was the lion from his nightmare.

_Oh, no, _he thought. _It's him! _

The rogue noticed the cub's expression and smiled at him.

"I'm Ubaya. And, sorry for the disappointment, but I am taking over this kingdom." He said this as if it were normal.

"Get out of my land!" Hekima roared.

The lionesses heard their king's threat.

"That's Hekima!" said his brother.

"It's sounds like he's in trouble," one of the lionesses said.

They quickly ran in the direction of the roar.

"Sorry, but you don't have a choice," the red-maned rogue exhaled, examining his paw. "You're either going to fight me, or I'm going to fight _you_." He unsheathed his claws, glowering threateningly at Hekima.

By that time, the pride members had arrived.

"Hekima, what's wrong?" Ndugu asked urgently.

"We heard you roar," a lioness said, panting.

"Oh, am I lucky?" Ubaya said seductively. "I've hit the jackpot."

"Brother, what is he talking about?" Ndugu came up to Hekima.

"This fool—" Hekima began, but he was cut off by Ubaya.

"I challenged him for the throne," the rogue said. "And you know the law. He can't refuse. Or else I have the right to kill him." Ubaya smiled unpleasantly at Hekima. "Are you scared, Kingy? Is your kingdom more important than your son?"

"Don't you dare!" Hekima roared.

"What? I said nothing," Ubaya replied, acting all innocent.

"I am not scared of scum like you! I will beat your tail out of here!" the brown-maned king growled.

Malaika clutched his father's leg.

"Dad, don't do it!" he pleaded.

Hekima looked at his son, then called his brother. "Ndugu, take Malaika away." He didn't want his son to witness the battle that was sure to follow.

"Come on, Malaika. Let's go," Ndugu urged, but the cub didn't move. He was holding his father's paw tightly, showing no intention of ever letting go.

"Malaika, let go!" Ndugu said more forcefully. The cub did nothing.

Eventually, Ndugu had to take him away by force.

"No! _No!_" Malaika screamed, kicking frantically to get away.

Hekima's brother placed him behind.

"Shall we begin already?" the rogue asked impatiently.

"As you wish."

The golden lion started circling the brown one, as he did the same.

"Hekima, be careful! He may cheat!" Ndugu warned..

"Don't worry," Hekima called back. "I've got this."

"But you're going to lose it!" Ubaya retorted, pouncing on the king and taking him by surprise.

A fierce fight began.

A fight for the throne.

The lions roared and swiped at each other, biting their necks, scratching their flesh. Neither wanted to lose.

Malaika was shaking like a leaf. He was absolutely terrified for his father.

The lionesses weren't allowed to interact. All they could do was watch.

Malaika had a flashback, remembering his dream.

"Oh, no…" he breathed, realizing that everything was the same. "Dad… _Dad!_"

He struggled to escape, but the tight grip of his uncle held him back.

"Shh," Ndugu soothed. "Calm down. Everything is going to be all right."

"No, it won't!" Malaika was still trying to evade him. "You don't understand! He'll kill him!"

Hakima swiped, aiming for Ubaya's head, but missed and fell.

This was the moment the rogue was waiting for. He raised his paw and clawed Hekima's face. The king roared in pain. Ubaya continued beating him. The king fought to try and recover, but the other lion was far too strong.

Ubaya bit down on Hekima's mane, making him scream. Hot blood poured from the wound, sliding straight into the rogue's mouth. He let the king go, licking the blood from his muzzle.

Malaika was petrified. He struggled, finally managing to extricate himself from his uncle's graso.

"Dad!" he called, running to his broken father.

"I am going to show my good nature and spare your son's life," Ubaya whispered in Hekima's ear.

Malaika reached his father and nuzzled him.

"But from now on, _I_ am the king in these lands." He said this audibly, so that everyone could hear him. "This pride is mine to look after." He smiled seductively at the animals.

He pointed at Hekima and his brother. "And my first act as king is to exile you two!"

"You are not my king!" Ndugu roared. "Your word means _nothing_!"

"Oh, really?" The rogue leaped and pounced on the brown lion.

"Get off of me!" Ndugu yelled.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." He smiled. "See ya."

The rogue bit Ndugu's neck. A snapping sound tore through the air, and the lion's body went limp.

"Brother…" The wounded Hekima rasped, his voice cracking both physical and emotional pain.

"Uncle, no…" Malaika's world was turned upside down. His father was dying, and his uncle had already perished.

One of the lionesses went to Ndugu's body, crying uncontrollably.

"Ndugu…" she cried. "My love, why?"

She shot a glare of pure venom at Ubaya.

"You killed my mate… You're going to pay for this." She then ran off.

The rogue looked down on the lionesses. "Anybody _else _think I'm not the king?" Nothing was said. "No? _Good_. Now, all of you go. Go and find somewhere to die in peace." He regarded Hekima, who didn't need another repeat.

The former king slowly, and with visible effort, got up and turned to his pride members. They all cried when they saw what state he was in. He nodded, and they did the same. Then, he continued limping away.

Malaika tried to follow him, but was stopped by one of the lionesses.

"Harufu, please! Let me go!" he pleaded her desperately.

"I am sorry, Malaika, but I can't," she said, tears streaming from her eyes.

"But why?" he asked, on the verge of tears himself.

"Because he's not the king anymore," Ubaya chimed in with a sadistic smile. "_I_ am. From now on, you are mine."

Malaika felt his anger rising.

"Never! I am not anyone's, and you are _not_ the king!" he screamed, snarling at the rogue.

"Do you want to die instead?" the king hissed, right in Malaika's face. "It's not a problem at all."

Malaika stared into this evil beast's eyes, frightened. Ubaya noticed his weakness and smiled.

"You're so easy." He then left the lioness and the cub, entering the den.

His new home.

"My father needs me, Harufu. I have to be with him now. He's wounded." Malaika tried to walk away, but Harufu still held him.

"I can't let you go there," she said. "It's dangerous. I promised your father that if anything happened to him, I would take care of you." She spoke in a motherly voice.

Malaika stared at her, confused.

At that same exact moment, a horrible scream was heard from the den, followed by silence.

The new king emerged from the cave with something bloody in his mouth.

Malaika's eyes widened, heart pounding in his chest.

"Kidogo…" he whispered.

Ubaya dropped the body and smiled.

"This is not mine," he laughed.

Harufu just stared blankly. Malaika used this chance to his advantage and freed himself.

He started running in the direction his father took.

"Malaika, come back!" Harufu called, but he didn't listen. His focus was his father. He needed to find him.

He searched for hours, calling his name constantly, but nothing. It was starting to get dark.

He was just about to give up, when he spotted a figure lying underneath a big baobab.

"Dad… Dad!" He ran towards him.

"Malaika?" Hekima lifted his head wearily.

The cub collided with his father, embracing him tightly. He cried into his bloody mane.

Hekima lifted his aching paw and embraced his son, nuzzling him.

"It's okay," Hekima comforted, but he was crying himself.

"Dad, I'm going with you," Malaika stated.

"I'm sorry, Malika... but it's not possible." Hekima laughed, although he found nothing funny about the situation.

"Why?" The desperate cub looked into his father's eyes, which were shining in the moonlight.

"This is a journey I have to undertake myself," he explained sadly. "But you will join me in time."

"But I want to stay with you!" Malaika cried. "Don't you want me anymore?"

Hekima was at a loss for words. He had hurt Malaika. Something he didn't want to happen.

"Of course I want you." He nuzzled his cub, who hugged him back.

Hekima looked to the sky, noticing how beautiful the stars seemed that night. "Hey." He nudged Malaika. "I want to show you something. Look."

Malaika too looked at the sky and gazed in awe.

"Ït's beautiful," the cub said.

"You know something, Malaika? Let me tell you something my father told me when I was your age," Hekima said. "The Great Kings of the Past look down on us from those stars."

"_Really_?" the cub asked.

"Yes," the king said. "So, if you ever feel alone, remember that they will always guide you along your path."

"I'll be there, too." He whispered this more to himself than Malaika.

The cub yawned and snuggled up to his father's mane. A sign that he was tired.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Mmm?"

"Where'll we go tomorrow?" Malaika asked.

This broke Hekima's heart.

"I don't know, Malaika," he responded, his voice cracking. "We'll go whatever you want."

"Okay, then. Goodnight, Dad."

And Malaika fell asleep in his father's warm embrace.

Hekima cried that night. He looked at the stars that were still shining bright. Not a single cloud in the sky.

A tear slid down his cheek.

"I am coming," he said. "Wait for me."

**A/N: Enjoy this chapter because the next update won't be so fast. I want to thank again to my beta-reader **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**__**. **_**He did a wonderful job, as always.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A Friend In Need**

The gentle, blissful rays of the morning sun woke Malaika. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned. This morning felt different from the others, because he wasn't in his father's kingdom anymore. That didn't matter to him, though. He was with Hekima. That was what mattered. They were going together. On their own journey.

Malaika glanced at his father, who was bloodied and bruised from the fight. He seemed so peaceful, so untroubled. As if he wasn't bothered about the events that had occurred the previous night.

His mane was all stained in clotted blood. His back was covered in deep wounds. His eyes - even though they were closed - made it look like he was in complete peace. The problems of the world didn't seem to reach him.

Malaika leaned to his father and prodded him.

"Dad? It's morning. Time to go," he urged.

But Hekima didn't move.

Malaika felt bad for his father. He was wounded badly. But if he was going to be okay, they needed to get out of here.

"Come on, Dad. We can't stay here. We need to find a place to live." He grabbed his father's paw, but when he let it go, it dropped limp.

Fear ran through Malaika's veins at that moment.

"Dad?" He nudged him with his nose.

As soon as he did that, he realized that his father wasn't breathing.

Oh, no… Please! Don't!

"Dad? Dad, wake up! Please!" He shook Hekima's lifeless body. He didn't move. His father was motionless. "Dad! Don't do this! You promised me!"

Malaika was crying, shaking his father's lifeless, frail form. Despair filled his scarred heart. He tried everything he possibly could, but Hekima's eyes refused to open.

"Dad, please! Don't do this to me! Wake up!" Malaika cried. "You promised we'd go together…"

He stared with a pained frown at his father's cold, emotionless face.

The cub's pain was so intense by this point that he unsheathed his claws and started clawing at the tree in fury.

"Why?" he screamed, fueled by rage. "What have I done wrong?"

He hacked and slashed, ignoring the fact that he was hurting himself. His paws were a bloody mess. He felt nothing, however. The pain was elsewhere. Deep down in his heart.

In the end, the cub was so tired from everything he simply broke down and started sobbing softly into Hekima's mane.

He didn't know how long it lasted, but after some time he felt a touch.

He jolted hopefully - thinking that it might be his father - but when he turned around, he saw Ndugu's mate, Hawara, looking at him with tearful eyes.

"I'm so sorry, little one," she said softly.

They embraced each other and wept together. Each one of them had lost a loved one. And the cause was the same.

Ubaya.

That name was like a poison. Worse than that from the fangs of a venomous snake.

Hawara stopped crying and pulled away. She gazed out at the horizon, before turning her attention to the cub.

"Malaika, listen to me," she said in a serious tone. "I know how you feel - but you need to stay strong for me, okay?"

Malaika nodded. He understood.

"We need to get out of here. It's not safe." Hawara had an expression of urgency about her.

Malaika looked at his father's body.

"But what about…?" He trailed off, almost ready to cry again.

"We can't take him, Malaika. I'm sorry." Hawara knew she was hurting him more. But she didn't have a choice.

"But… we can't leave him here… alone."

That sentence broke Hawara's heart. This was hard - but it had to be done.

"Malaika, if we don't get out of here soon, we're going to be in danger," she told him.

The tan lioness lifted Malaika's chin gently, staring into his young eyes.

"Listen. I won't leave you," she said genuinely. "I will take care of you, until you are able to take care of yourself." Hawara stroked the cub's back soothingly.

There was suddenly a burning anger in her eyes. It seeped into her words, too.

"I will make you the best hunter and the best fighter there ever was," she said with passionate vengeance. "And when you are old enough, you will come back here and kill that monster who took your family away."

Malaika's grief transformed into anger when he thought of Ubaya. Rage consumed him.

"You bet. I will make him wish he was never born," Malaika said, his voice laced with fury.

Hawara was ever so slightly startled to hear this from the young cub's mouth. But she felt the same way as he did. She expected this.

"That's my boy," she said, getting up. "Now, we need to get out of here before someone notices us."

Hawara walked over to the dead king, whispering. "I will going take good care of him, Your Majesty. Don't you worry." The lioness bowed her head in respect for the fallen king and continued on her path.

"Come, Malaika. It's time to go," she called.

"Give me a minute," the cub responded, padding over to his father. Hawara understood, and waited.

"You said the Great Kings of the Past guide us from the stars," he told Hekima's lifeless corpse. "I will look every night."

The cub shed one more tear and nuzzled his father. For the last time in his life.

"Goodbye, Dad."

Malaika turned around, leaving the king to rest in peace under the baobab tree. And together with Hawara, they left these lands and headed to the future.

They eventually found a beautiful oasis, where they lived for two years. Hawara trained Malaika every day, and soon he became a very proficient hunter. His combat skills became better: he could run faster and his appearance adapted intimidating characteristics. His mane was almost fully grown, and he had a muscular figure. All in all, he looked a very fierce lion who could tear any creature apart in two seconds.

But, deep down - under his thick, beastly skin - was a kind and loving soul, deeply wounded by the cruel events of his past.

Except for Hawara, he didn't have any friends. Sometimes he felt like he was the only lion in the world. He felt so lonely.

Every night Malaika gazed at the stars. He talked to them for hours. They comforted him.

Whenever he had a bad day, or he felt down, he always shared his troubles with them. They were like his family. His pride.

He never made his own pride.

It was only hunting that kept Malaika's senses alive. It provided him with energy, and distracted him from his problems.

One day, he went further than normal on his hunt. He wanted a little adventure for a change. No one could blame him. After all, Malaika's life wasn't exactly the best…

He spotted a herd of zebras.

"Perfect…" he whispered to himself, licking his muzzle.

He slowly and soundlessly made his way over to the unsuspecting animals.

When he was close enough, he crouched down low and observed his prey.

All the zebras were grazing calmly, unaware of his presence.

One in particular got his attention. It laid on the grass while the others were eating, looking somewhat… distracted.

"You're mine," hissed Milaika.

He growled quietly. Tensed his muscles. Ready to leap.

The zebra, however, spotted him earlier. Before he had the chance to start the hunt, it ran.

Malaika leapt from his hiding spot with a mighty roar and, like a bullet, sprinted after his prey.

The zebra was running for its life like mad - but it couldn't outrun a lion.

Malaika jumped and sank his claws into the animal's thighs.

The zebra wailed in pain, but managed to free itself from the predator's grasp, continuing to run as fast as its legs could carry it.

Malaika didn't give up, either. He chased it, knowing that at some point the animal would tire out. He wouldn't. He was used to running for hours. It was true.

After what it seemed like thirty minutes of endless pursuing, the zebra finally began to slow down.

Malaika noticed this, and chuckled.

"I have you now," he said, smiling victoriously.

They reached a long, steep, rocky gorge. The zebra made a turn and started running alongside the edge, followed by its equivalent of Death: Malaika.

The zebra gradually weakened. It was a fight of will, but it looked like the poor animal was losing. It began to accept that it was going to die.

Malaika was close enough for a final leap.

He gained momentum, preparing himself.

He leapt high and aimed for the kill.

But, just as he was about to sink his teeth into the zebra's neck, his hind leg slipped and he fell from the edge.

In a split second, he managed to stretch out his paw and dig his claws into the rough earth.

Malaika was hanging from the edge, fighting for his life.

The zebra noticed that it wasn't being followed anymore, and looked around in confusion.

The striped animal saw his chaser hanging from the edge, stopping.

Malaika struggled to hold himself. He knew that if he surrendered to the pain, then he was dead.

He tried to pull himself up with all his might - but couldn't.

He let out a cry of despair.

The zebra stood there, watching.

Come on! Run! Get away from here!

But its body made no move ahead.

What are you doing? Get out of here now!

Malaika's time was running out. He was scratching at the earth with his hind paws desperately.

No! Don't you dare!

The zebra looked at its enemy. Malaika's legs were shaking.

One of his paws lost its grip on the edge, leaving him hanging limply by one. He let out another cry.

"What am I doing?" the zebra yelled, sprinting over to Malaika.

The lion was just about to fall when the animal extended its head towards him.

"Grab my neck!" the zebra commanded. It was a male.

Malaika couldn't believe his ears. He stared, wide-eyed, at the creature.

"Do you want to live?" the striped animal asked, frowning.

Malaika looked into his eyes. There was something familiar in them.

The zebra was waiting.

He nodded, amazed, and grabbed the zebra's little mane with his teeth.

"Okay! On three," he said. "One… two… three!"

And the zebra started pulling the lion up. It was harder than it seemed.

Malaika felt like he would lose his grip on the zebra's neck, so he grabbed it with one paw. He didn't realize he had unsheathed his claws, making the animal hiss in pain. But the zebra didn't stop helping him.

He finally pulled Malaika to safety. The lion lay on the ground, panting heavily.

The zebra stayed there, watching. Uncertain of whether to run for his life or stay and make sure that the lion was okay. He felt extremely awkward for that reason, but stayed anyway.

When Malaika finally calmed down, he brought himself into a sitting position.

The predator looked into the zebra's eyes. The animal immediately jumped, ready to run if necessary.

Malaika sighed, looking down at the ground.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to chase you," he told the frightened zebra.

The prey was surprised.

"You… you won't?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," Malaika exhaled.

There was a moment of silence. But Malaika broke it.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, glancing at the drop.

"Huh?" the zebra said.

Malaika looked at him this time. "Why did you save me?"

"I… I guess I couldn't just let you die," said the zebra.

"But I was going to kill you. I may even still want to do it," the lion said honestly. This caused the zebra to tense up a little bit - but he didn't show it.

"When I was young," the striped one began, "my mother died in a situation. Similar to yours. I guess that was the reason I couldn't let you die."

"I'm sorry about your mother. I lost my parents when I was young, too," he confessed.

"My father was killed by a lion when I was a baby. My mother died when I was a child," the zebra admitted. "I'm… all alone."

Malaika felt sympathy for the animal. They seemed to have gone through similar experiences.

"What's your name?" Malaika asked.

"Mawindo," the zebra told him.

"I'm Malaika," the lion smiled.

"Nice name," the zebra complimented.

"Thanks," Malaika thanked. "And thank you."

Mawindo chuckled.

"Why did you thank me two times?" he wondered, bemused.

"Because you saved my life," he explained. "I am in your debt."

"No problem," the zebra said. "Well… I guess I should be going."

"Wait!" Malaika clambered to his paws, hurrying over to him. "I'm headed in the same direction."

"You want to walk with me?" Mawindo asked, surprised by the gesture.

"Yeah. Why? Are you uncomfortable with that?" said the lion.

"No. Not at all. It's a pleasure," Mawindo said with a smile.

And the two animals started walking back.

On the way, Malaika noticed the wound on the Mawindo's neck that he made. For some reason - he didn't know why - he felt bad about it.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, concerned.

"A little bit. No big deal," Mawindo said casually.

Malaika noticed the wound was bleeding, and started licking it.

That startled the zebra, who stopped immediately.

"What are you doing?" he asked, alarmed by the lion's behavior.

"I'm cleaning the wound," Malaika explained sheepishly. "It could get infected."

Mawindo stared at him for a few moments.

"Sorry," Malaika apologized.

"No, no." Mawindo didn't want to sound harsh. "There's no problem. You just startled me."

"Oh. Okay," Malaika said, continuing to cleanse the cut.

The two animals continued to walk together.

Neither of them had a clue that they had finally found a friendship.

**A/N: I have nothing to say here, except for "Thank you, again, **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_**". **


	4. Chapter 4

**Doubt**

Predator and prey walked together through the golden savannah. Talking and laughing. Sharing facts about each other's lives. They had no idea how much they had in common until they started revealing certain things.

It was oddly appealing for both of them to find a soul mate, although nature originally intended them to be natural enemies. The world could be a very strange place sometimes…

Malaika liked that zebra a lot. He saved his life, when he had every right to leave him die there. He was trying to eat the poor creature, after all!

But still…

Mawindo saved him without remorse. Malaika couldn't hurt him anymore. He felt bad even thinking about it. Despite this, it was strange for him at the same time. If that animal could show mercy to his killer, Malaika could surely return the gesture. It was the most he could do.

Or was it?

The lion and the zebra reached the part of the road where their paths separated.

"Well, I guess I should be leaving you now," said Mawindo uneasily.

"Yeah. It'll be weird if other zebras see you with a lion, won't it?" Malaika laughed.

"I guess so…" The zebra chuckled along with him.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Neither of them made a move.

"Okay…" Mawindo sighed.

"Right…" Malaika copied.

Still, neither one of them moved from his spot.

"Goodbye," said the zebra, and finally started walking towards his home.

"Goodbye," the lion returned, and continued to his own destination as well.

He soon returned to his oasis. Hawara was lying under a tree, obviously waiting for him.

"Where have you been?" she asked calmly, although her eyes showed differently.

"I was on a hunt," Malaika replied simply.

"And where's your kill?" she challenged.

"I… ate it already," he lied.

"Aha…" The old lioness wasn't quite convinced by his attempt, but didn't bother herself with it.

"I'm going to take a nap now. I'm tired," the brown-maned lion said, departing.

Hawara stood there, watching him go. She sensed something odd about his behavior, but she couldn't understand why.

Malaika retreated to a quiet spot of the glorious oasis where he lived, with only a large rock and a few trees for company. The atmosphere was surprisingly silent. There wasn't a creature in sight. It was just him. Alone.

The lion lay on the rock, resting lazily on his side. A deep sigh escaped his throat, as he reflected on past events. He thought of the zebra. Mawindo. He saved Malaika, even though the lion was planning to kill him.

Malaika couldn't deny that he felt touched by the gesture. They had both undergone similar trials and tribulations in their past. Lost those who they loved… The predator couldn't deny it. He and that zebra had quite a lot in common.

So, was it possible that they had the capacity to become… friends?

Malaika shook his head. No. No way.

He couldn't shake off his instincts. A zebra and a lion? Such a friendship couldn't ever possibly work. He was a prey! He ate zebras like him for breakfast, lunch and dinner without so much as a second thought! It was a part of nature!

Still, he couldn't deny that he liked Mawindo. That much was certain. They had a shockingly good connection with each other. It was almost as if the Great Kings of the Past had decided that they were meant to be friends…

Could I really be friends with a prey? he wondered, staring up at the sky in confusion. You had so much to talk about with him…

He closed his eyes. Stop talking crazy, he told himself. It's impossible to have a friendship with a zebra. He'll be in your stomach within a day!

Torn between his feelings and what made logical sense, Malaika let out a groan of frustration. He rolled onto his stomach, fed up with how miserable things seemed. Would anything ever go right for him?

"It can't work out," Malaika declared, surrendering to his instincts. "It can't work…"

"Relationship troubles?" said a voice.

"Ah!" Malaika cried, tumbling from the rock and flopping into the tall grass. He scrambled to his paws, trying to keep a hold of his dignity. The lion carefully scanned the area with his cautious eyes, but couldn't see anyone.

But he heard someone speaking… didn't he?

"Who… who's there?" Malaika stammered.

"Nobody!" cried the voice.

Malaika screamed again, turning around and falling onto his back. His eyes widened in utter horror at what he saw.

It was a lion cub.

He was a rather small guy when compared to the big predator. He had light brown fur with bright blue eyes that shone in the sunlight. The charming smile was quite hard to resist. This cub was certainly adorable. Malaika couldn't argue with that.

"Who are you?" Malaika demanded, bringing himself into a sitting position. He was staring at the cub in bemusement.

"My name's Haiba," the cub said. "What about you?"

"I'm Malaika," the lion told him. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you around the oasis before."

"Oh, I'm from… some other place," Haiba said, his eyes nervously shifting from side to side. "But I was around, and I couldn't help but overhear that you were having some relationship troubles."

Malaika rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know how much you heard, but—"

"No, no," Haiba interrupted, raising a paw. "There's no need to be embarrassed. All of us have trouble winning the lionesses over sometimes. Even a handsome, loveable oaf like me!

"But I'm not in a relationship—"

"I know," Haiba cut in. "That's the problem. You're probably too embarrassed, I bet. I don't see why, though. You've got cute fur, handsome cheeks, tender eyes. What's not to like? Any lioness would snap you up in an instant! Not literally, of course. No one wants to be on the receiving end of a beautiful lioness's jaws…"

"No!" Malaika was yelling now, angered by the cub. "I don't care about being with a lioness!"

"Oh, so you're into that kind of thing," Haiba retorted, as if he now understood. "It's okay. I know plenty of lions with manes who would be interested…"

"You misunderstand me," Malaika said. "I was thinking about a… a friend."

"Oh." Haiba raised his eyebrows. "A 'friend', eh? I get ya."

"You'd better leave," Malaika threatened, turning away from the cub and lying on his stomach. "You have about ten seconds before I slit your throat."

"Don't be so mean," Haiba said, hopping onto the rock where Malaika was resting. "I can help you."

"How could you possibly help me?" Malaika said. "You're just a cub."

"A smart cub," Haiba added. "Come on. Tell me. What's your problem?"

Malaika hesitated. Should I really tell this cub my problems? he thought. I don't even know who he is…

Isn't that a good thing? he argued with himself. Nobody else is going to care if he tells anyone…

Malaika finally decided to tell the cub of his dilemma. "I don't know whether it's possible to be friends with a prey," he admitted.

"Friends with a prey?" Haiba said, thinking about it. "Like a frog getting married to a fly?"

"I guess," Malaika shrugged. "I met this… zebra. He saved my life, even though I was hunting him down. He could have left me, but… he didn't. He was very kind. And I feel like I have so much in common with him… Similar things have happened in our pasts."

"Sounds like a great guy," Haiba said. "I should meet him sometime. The stripes are quite attractive, I find."

"But he's not someone I should be friends with!" Malaika protested. His instincts had been ground into his skull. He couldn't stop thinking about him. "He should be my kill! My food! He should be rotting away in my stomach! That's how it's supposed to be. It's instinct."

"Well…" The cub paused in thought for a moment. "Maybe you should forget about your instincts for once."

"Huh?" Malaika gazed at the cub, failing to understand. "What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what I said," Haiba responded. He smiled at the huge lion. "It's only one zebra. Isn't it okay if you just forget about your instincts so you can be friends with him? Nature doesn't have to decide who we can and can't socialise with."

Malaika thought for a moment about what the cub was saying. It sounded nothing at all like the teachings of his father – when he was still alive, of course – but it sort of made sense.

"I guess I understand what you're saying," Malaika said, slowly adjusting to the idea. "It still doesn't seem right to me, though."

"Give it a try," Haiba suggested, rising to his paws. "Just about any friendship can work out if you at least make an attempt. A lion can be friends with a zebra just as much as a rock can be friends with a river. You should try it. What do you have to lose?"

Malaika stared straight ahead, resting his head on his forepaws. "I suppose you're right," he begrudgingly agreed. He looked over his shoulder. "I guess I should thank—"

But the lion cub had vanished.

He looked around but there was nothing.

"That was strange," he said to himself, frowning.

But he quickly shrugged it off.

Malaika focused his thoughts on his dilemma again.

Should I try? he asked himself.

The golden pelted lion looked to the sky.

He had gone through so much pain. All these years, he lived in the oasis without any other friend, except Hawara. But she was growing old, and soon she would join his father, too. What then? He would be completely on his own.

He never met any lionesses around here. He didn't have a chance to mate yet. Malaika felt so alone, yet nobody cared. It created a stabbing sensation in his heart. It wasn't fair! He needed company. He deserved a friend.

"I am not going to be alone for ever. I won't allow it," Malaika promised to himself.

He then stood up, running off to an unknown destination.

Back at Ubaya's new pride, Harufu laid calmly, gazing out at the horizon.

She couldn't stop thinking about Malaika. She was worried that she had failed to keep her promise to Hekima. His son was out there, and the lioness wasn't sure if he was still alive.

The lioness let out a sigh.

"Problems?" said a voice behind her.

She quickly turned around, alarmed, realizing that the king was speaking to her. That didn't make her feel any less tense.

"I'm just relaxing," she explained, hoping Ubaya would go away.

"Relaxing, huh?" He raised an eyebrow.

Harufu nodded.

The red-maned king slowly approached the lioness.

"A beautiful lioness like you should do more exciting things than relaxing," he said, smiling suggestively.

Harufu stared at him, utterly confused.

"Like what?" She asked.

The king licked his lips and purred.

"Mate…"

Harufu's heart started pounding. She tried to run, but Ubaya quickly pinned her to the ground.

"Get away from me!" the lioness roared in fear.

"I like it when a lioness is fighting," he said passionately.

"No… Please! Don't!" she begged, trying to get away.

"Sorry – but I can't," he replied simply. "I need my bloodline to be continued." He positioned his hind legs on either side of the lioness's body.

Harufu was terrified.

"No…"

She realized there was no escape.

"No!" Harufu roared in protest.

But it was too late.

Malaika ran through the night savannah. He was searching for Mawindo. The lion wanted to tell him how he felt.

His body and mind were separated.

His body felt it was wrong, but his mind was screaming. Do it!

Then, the lion picked up on Mawindo's scent. The zebra was near.

Malaika sprinted ahead, following the track.

It didn't take him very long to find Mawindo.

He was lying on the soft grass, gazing at the stars. He seemed troubled.

Malaika slowly and almost soundlessly approached the animal from behind, but a stick snapped underneath his paw. Mawindo heard instantly.

The zebra instantly turned. When he saw a leonine form illuminated by the moonlight, he sprinted away.

"No! Wait! It's me!" Malaika called. But Mawindo continued to run.

The lion chased after him.

"Stop!" he yelled, but that only made the zebra go faster.

Seeing no other option, Malaika leaped into the air and pinned Mawindo down.

The zebra fought to free himself from his grasp.

"Would you stop? It's me!" the lion yelled, trying to calm Mawindo down.

And it worked.

"Malaika?" Mawindo stopped struggling, looking up at the lion. He recognized him now.

"Yes." The beast smiled, allowing the striped creature to get up.

"What are you doing here?" Mawindo asked, confused.

"I was just… I wanted… " He couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't know how to explain things.

The zebra noticed this.

"Company?" he finished for him.

"Yeah…" Malaika nodded.

"You see, I… thought that…" He was nervous to say it. "I've been feeling lonely, recently." It took a lot of courage to admit that. "I don't have anyone to talk to. Well, except for Hawara - but it's not the same."

The lion stared down at the grass, somewhat embarrassed.

"I know how you feel," Mawindo said, much to the lion's surprise.

Malaika shifted his gaze towards him.

"You do?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes. I'm lonely, too," the zebra admitted.

"But you have a herd. I don't have a pride," Malaika pointed out.

Mawindo laughed.

"I have a herd, all right," he scoffed.

The lion was confused.

"Why? What's the matter?" he asked, interested to know.

"They always neglect me," the zebra explained. "They always put me in front so that when there's a predator attacking, I'll be snacked on first." Mawindo looked pained.

Malaika felt sympathy for him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why? It's not your fault," the zebra retorted.

"But I tried to hunt you down, too. Are you mad at me?" the lion asked, hoping this was not the case.

"Mad?" Mawindo said, surprised. "Why would I be mad at you? It's a natural thing."

"I know. But you saved me," Malaika told him. "You had every right to let me fall. But… you didn't. I told you before: I am forever in your debt."

"You don't need to repay me in any way," Mawindo assured him.

"I want to," Malaika said. "I have nothing to offer you. Nothing but my protection and… friendship." He had a hopeful look in his eyes.

The zebra stared at him for a few moments.

"You know, before I met you, Malaika, I thought all lions were only vicious killers. Hunters who wanted nothing more but to sink their teeth into our flesh." He smiled warmly. "You proved me wrong. Your friendship is more than enough. And be sure that you have mine as well."

Malaika smiled also. He was very happy that he had finally found a friend! He couldn't even contain his excitement!

He leaped at Mawindo and knocked him down.

They scuffled for some time, both happy that they had a friendship. An unlikely one, but still a friendship.

"Mawindo, from now on you don't have to worry about being hunted. Trust me," Malaika assured his friend.

"I know," The zebra replied. "And you don't have to worry about being lonely again."

Malaika nuzzled Mawindo: the equivalent of a brotherly hug.

**A/N: This chapter is unique. You know why? Because **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** and I wrote it together. He did the whole Haiba scene. It was brilliant! So, a big **_**Thank You**_** to him.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A New "Pride"**

Malaika and Mawindo fell asleep together that night. It was a sign that their friendship was genuine. Their bond was strong. The zebra wasn't afraid that the lion would eat him in his sleep. He knew Malaika wouldn't do such a thing. If he wanted to, then surely he would have done it already?

No.

He wouldn't hurt his friend. Ever.

Mawindo woke up, feeling somebody by his side. He was startled a little bit at the sight of a big lion lying beside him, but he quickly calmed down once he realized who it was. His new best friend.

Malaika woke as well with a big yawn, revealing his razor sharp fangs.

Both of them had no idea that they had fallen asleep together. They stared at each other questioningly.

"Morning," said Malaika.

"Morning," Mawindo returned with a smile.

"I guess… we fell asleep while talking," he explained to the carnivore.

"Yeah." Malaika nodded.

The lion looked at the sunrise, remembering that Hawara would probably be mad about him disappearing again.

"Well, I have to go now. But I'll come later." Malaika touched Mawindo's forehead with his own as a way of saying goodbye.

"See you later!" he called, as he started running off to his home.

"Bye!" Mawindo called back.

That's one weird lion, he thought to himself.

But he was glad indeed that he had become this close with Malaika. He never had any friends before. It was about time he did.

A lion? he not?

He cared for him more than his own species. Malaika deserved a place in his heart.

The sleepy zebra tiredly got up and headed for a walk.

Malaika ran with a fast pace to the oasis.

She'll be mad, he thought.

When he finally reached his target, he was surprised to see Hawara smiling at him.

What's that? He was perplexed.

"How was your night?" she asked, as if she wasn't concerned about him disappearing.

"Uh… good," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Are you trying my patience?" the old lioness asked, still with a smile on her face.

Malaika was confused again.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Where have you been?" Hawara asked, her expression suddenly turning serious.

"I was… away," the brown-maned lion answered vaguely.

"I can see that," said Hawara. "I am asking you: where have you been?" This time she raised her voice a little.

"It's none of your concern," Malaika said simply.

"It's none of my concern?" Hawara retorted, visibly irritated. "I raised you! I gave you my love and attention when you needed it the most, and you tell me it's none of my concern?"

"I'm sorry," Malaika apologized, staring at the lioness that had made him who he was.

"I understand you want some privacy, but I only ask that you let me know the next time you are going somewhere. I've been worried about you." Hawara looked genuine as she told him this.

"Okay. I'll let you know the next time," Malaika promised, starting to walk away.

"Oh, and one other thing," Hawara said, causing Malaika to stop. "When do you plan to make your attack?"

She couldn't see Malaika because he had his back to her, but his face was a terrible sight. He looked murderous.

"Soon," he responded icily, and started striding away.

Hawara looked at the bright morning sky and sighed.

"Oh, Hekima. He needs you," she said sadly, closing her eyes. "Please… help him."

Malaika walked for some time and then stopped. He, too, looked at the sky for the same reason.

"Dad…" A cracked voice escaped his throat. "I wish you were here."

A tear slid down his muzzle.

"I'm sorry I let you down. I couldn't make a pride of my own, but I hope that I can save ours."

At that moment, his stomach made a gurgling sound.

It was then that Malaika realized that he hadn't eaten a whole day. The events with Mawindo distracted him from his hunger but now it had decided to kick in again.

He needed food at the moment. More than any other time in his life.

He sniffed the air, hopeful to find something. And he did.

Malaika quickly got to his feet and ran in the direction of the scent he had picked up on.

It wasn't long before he found what it was.

The zebra's herd.

For the first time in his life, he felt nervous about killing to satisfy his hunger.

But the starvation was far too strong.

The lion's instinct took over, and he begun chasing one of the zebras.

Ha had no problem bringing it down.

Malaika was just about to end its life for good – but something happened.

For the first time in his life, he noticed the creature's eyes. Never before had he seen the sheer terror in his victims' orbs. It made his heart pound.

He had the zebra in his jaws – but he couldn't find the strength to snap.

What is wrong with me? he wondered.

He tried, but every time he looked at his prey's eyes, he became powerless.

Do it!

But he just stayed like that, with the zebra in his mouth.

At the same time, Mawindo was grazing in that area, unaware of the fact that he was being watched.

A light-furred lioness with green eyes was stalking the unsuspecting zebra.

She silently sneaked towards Mawindo, careful not to be spotted.

Malaika's striped friend had no idea he was about to be eaten, so he just continued doing his own business.

However, when he turned his head around to change his position, he accidentally spotted the lioness.

Mawindo froze with fear.

Oh, no… Not again! he thought.

Malaika was still struggling to kill his zebra when he heard a roar, followed by Mawindo's scream.

Immediately, he let go of the animal, who shot away like a bullet.

The lion rushed in the direction of the sounds.

He completely forgot about his hunger. He was worried that his friend might be in danger, and he needed to get to him as fast as he possibly could.

Mawindo sprinted for his life, with the lioness right behind him.

He tried everything he could to lose her, but this was all in vain. She was mere inches away, waiting for any sign of weakness to appear so that she could bring him down.

"Mawindo!" Malaika ran, calling his friend's name. "Mawindo!"

Mawindo heard him.

"Malaika?" he said. "Malaika! Help!" He sounded desperate.

"No one's helping you, sweetheart," the lioness said hungrily from behind.

The lion heard his friend's desperate call and immediately sprinted in his direction, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Mawindo ran straight ahead – but he began to tire.

The lioness took advantage of this moment and leapt at Mawindo with a roar, ready to have her kill.

But she suddenly found herself pinned by something.

It was Malaika.

"Get off me!" she yelled.

"Not happening!" he growled.

"It'll get away!" the lioness cried.

"That's the point," he replied.

The lioness turned around to look at him, confused.

But when she met his eyes, she just stared.

It was the same with Malaika. He felt mesmerised by how beautiful she looked.

They gazed at each other, neither of them trying to fight the other or even say a word.

They didn't even notice that Mawindo had stopped running and was actually in front of them.

"Um… excuse me." The zebra cleared his throat, which immediately brought them out of their trance.

The emerald-eyed lioness noticed the zebra and tried to push Malaika away.

"Let me go! He'll escape!" she protested.

"I won't let you hurt him," he told her firmly.

"Are you out of your mind?" She was at a loss for words.

"Maybe. But he's my friend. I won't allow you to kill him," Malaika explained.

"He's your what?" The lioness couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Are you deaf? He's. My. Friend," he repeated.

"But how on Earth can you be friends with a prey?" she asked, still unable to find sense in this.

"He saved my life," Malaika retorted.

The lioness stopped struggling now, looking back and forth between Malaika and Mawindo.

"Really?" she asked, amazed.

"Yeah. Really," Malaika said. "I was hunting him, too – but I slipped and fell off the edge of the gorge. I managed to hold myself up, but I couldn't get to safety. I would have died if it wasn't for him. He saved me, even though I wanted to kill him."

Malaika glanced at Mawindo, smiling. Mawindo returned the gesture.

The pinned lioness stared at the creature, stunned.

"He did?" she whispered.

"Mmm." Malaika nodded. "And I'm going to tell you this now: if you try to hurt him, you're dead." His tone was laced with threat.

The lion let the lioness up, and she dusted herself off.

She looked at the zebra that she had wanted to kill earlier.

"Is this the truth? You saved him?" she asked again, just to make sure.

"Yes. And if you ask me, I would do it again." Mawindo smiled.

"I am sorry for trying to hunt you. I had no idea," she apologized.

"It's okay. It happens to me all the time," the zebra joked.

"You seem different," the light-tanned lioness said, staring at Mawindo. "You're not like other zebras."

"Thanks, I guess. You seem different, too. I've never seen a lioness with such light fur," he regarded.

The huntress's head fell.

"What's wrong?" Mawindo asked, afraid he may have hurt her.

"Nothing," the lioness replied simply.

Malaika got to her and asked her.

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from… nowhere," she replied, looking into his eyes.

"What does that mean?" Malaika questioned, confused.

"I was exiled, and I can't go back," she explained, pain evident in her voice.

Malaika felt bad for her.

"Well… do you have a place to live?" he asked, worried for her.

"No. I'm just wandering around. One day, I'm here. The next – I'm not."

The lioness seemed troubled.

Malaika wanted to help her. His mind worked up an answer.

"Well, I guess… If you want you could…" He didn't know how to say it. "You could live with me."

The lioness looked at him, frowning.

"Live with you?" she asked uncertainly. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he said with a warm smile.

Mawindo smiled to himself.

He's got a girlfriend, he thought.

"I live in an oasis not far from here," Malaika explained. "If you want, I could show it to you."

"Yes. I would love to," the lioness said, also smiling. "By the way… what's your name?"

"I'm Malaika. And this is Mawindo," Malaika said, pointing at his friend.

"I'm Nafsi," she told them.

"Nafsi… I like that name," Malaika said.

"Thanks," she smiled at him. "And sorry again."

"Apology accepted," the zebra winked.

"I'll leave you now."

Mawindo started to walk off, but Malaika stopped him.

"Mawindo, wait," he called, approaching him. "Actually, I'd love it if you came to live with us as well. You said you don't like it here, anyway."

Mawindo felt happy.

"You want me in?" the zebra asked, smiling.

"Of course," the lion assured him. "You're my best friend."

"All right, then. I'll come." Mawindo changed his direction. "Thank you."

Malaika nodded and smiled.

And so the three animals headed back to the oasis.

**A/N: Again – Thank you, **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** for the great editing!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Freedom**

The trio walked together to the marvelous – yet desolate – oasis. Malaika always felt lonely living there for all these years. But now he had Mawindo and Nafsi to keep him company. Never again would loneliness embrace him.

"So, Nafsi…" Malaika began. "You said that you were exiled – but you didn't say why."

Nafsi's expression showed that she didn't really want to talk about it.

Malaika noticed this, and quickly corrected himself.

"I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it—" the lion began, but was cut off by her.

"There's no problem," she said, sounding quite casual. I was exiled for attempting to murder the prince."

As normal as her tone made this sound, it still hit Malaika. He simply stared at her in shock.

Mawindo was behind them, but clearly heard what Nafsi had said. He wore a similar expression to Nafsi.

"You… But why?" the lion managed to ask.

"His father – the king – was forcing him on me. He wanted me to mate with him so that he could have a heir. The old bastard wanted us to start a pride."

Nafsi was almost yelling. This confused Malaika even more.

"One night…" She sighed and continued. "Mpenzi – that was the loser's name – tried to rape me."

Malaika just stared into Nafsi's eyes, stunned by what he was hearing.

"His father had set everything up. But I slashed him. I was going to kill him but then the 'king' came. He exiled me right away, and told me if I ever went back, I'd be in his stomach. I've been wandering ever since."

Malaika couldn't believe his ears. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Oh my God… That must have been horrible. I'm so sorry," he comforted her.

"Don't worry," she told him. "I'm okay now. And I'm really glad that you stopped me from eating him." The lioness smiled at Mawindo, who returned the gesture. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. You don't know how much it means to me."

Malaika was lost in her beautiful emerald eyes.

"No problem. Glad to help," he said with a similar smile to that of the lioness.

The three of them soon reached the oasis. "Well… we've arrived," said Malaika.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Nafsi said, admiring Malaika's home.

"It's great. Just how you described it," Mawindo said.

"It's awesome, isn't it?" Hawara and I discovered it two years ago," Malaika said, before suddenly remembering something, "Oh, that reminds me. Come with me. I want you to meet Hawara. I'm sure she'll be very happy to meet you."

The three companions searched for Hawara, and found her lying on a rock: her favourite place to relax. Her eyes were closed. It seemed that she had fallen asleep.

Malaika got to her side and whispered in her ear. "Rise and shine, Hawara. I brought some friends that I want you to meet," the lion said eagerly.

Hawara didn't wake up.

"Come on, Hawara. You sleep a lot these days." He pushed her lightly.

Her paw fell motionlessly.

Malaika's heart stopped.

"Hawara?"

He shook her, but – again – she didn't move.

"Hawara, please! Don't do this to me! Not you, too!" he cried in desperation.

Nafsi and Mawindo watched from behind, shocked. They exchanged nervous glances.

"Don't' leave me…" Malaika nuzzled the old lioness, crying. "You can't…"

His friends saw enough. They couldn't take it anymore. Moving in from behind, they wrapped Malaika in a comforting hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

It helped a little.

"I'm sorry you had to see this," Malaika said, sniffing.

"You don't need to apologize. That's why we're here," Mawindo said.

"It means a lot to me." The damaged lion smiled at them. "I can't thank you enough."

"You don't need to thank us. I'm so sorry," said Nafsi.

"It's okay, Nafsi. I want a little time with her now. Will you excuse me?" Malaika asked gently.

The zebra and the lioness didn't need a repeat, and with a simple nod they acknowledged his wish.

Mawindo approached him, placing his head against Malaika's in a comforting matter.

"We'll be here if you need us," the zebra assured his lion friend.

"Thank you." The lion nuzzled him back.

And Nafsi and Mawindo left Malaika with the body.

He didn't want them to see him crying again, so he waited until they disappeared. It was then that fresh tears began to pour from his eyes.

"I am so sorry, Hawara," he sobbed, "I should've never left you here alone. You were there for me all the time – and I failed."

A flashback entered his memory.

Young Malaika and Hawara are playing in the oasis. They're having great fun. Just like mother and son.

_Malaika finds a beautiful pink flower and plucks it._

_"Look, Hawara," he says to the lioness._

_"It's beautiful, Malaika," she says to the cub with a sweet smile._

_Little Malaika puts the flower behind Hawara's ear._

_She smiles._

_"Why did you do that?" she asked, amused._

_"Because you're my girl," the cub smiled. Hawara nuzzled him._

_"You're so cute." She licked his cheek._

Malaika remembered this with teary eyes.

He looked down at the ground.

Coincidentally, the same flower was inches away from him.

He leaned forward, gently plucking it with teeth.

He placed it behind Hawara's ear.

She looked like she was smiling, though he knew it was impossible.

"You're still my girl." Malaika nuzzled her motionless face. "Goodbye. Tell Dad I said hi."

And with that, Malaika left Hawara's dead body on the rock, with the flower behind her ear.

Her grave.

Mawindo and Nafsi were lying in the grass, talking about Malaika.

The zebra told the lioness what Malaika's past was like. The information shocked her.

"Oh, no – that's terrible," Nafsi said sympathetically.

"Yeah. When he told me, I couldn't even imagine how horrific it must've been," the zebra said, letting out a sigh.

"He's so unfortunate," the lioness said, saddened to admit it.

"He is," Mawindo agreed.

Nafsi then asked a sudden question.

"Why did you save him? Honestly, why didn't you just… run?" She wondered how a lion and a zebra ended up becoming friends. They were supposed to be natural enemies.

"When I was young, my mother died. It was an accident, similar to Malaika's. I was going to run. And for a second, I did – but…" The zebra trailed off."I just couldn't do it. I had to help him."

"You're really noble," the lioness complimented. "Meeting you has completely changed my view on prey."

"Thank you. You know, you lions are not so bad, too. Not bad at all," Mawindo smiled.

At that moment, Malaika showed up.

He came up and lay next to them, a sad and thoughtful look on his features.

They wanted to do something to make him feel better.

"How are you?" Mawindo asked.

"I'll be okay. Don't worry," he tried to assure them – but they weren't blind.

"Are you hungry? I'll catch something," Nafsi offered. She figured that a good meal would at least make him feel a little bit better.

"No, don't bother yourself. Please," Malaika said, although he had not eaten a more than a day already. He was indeed hungry.

"I will bother myself. You offered me a home; it's the least I can do," she told him, and then departed to find something to eat.

"Thanks," Malaika muttered, as he and the zebra were left alone.

"She likes you," Mawindo said with a smile, as soon as Nafsi was out of earshot.

Malaika looked up at his friend, confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Oh, don't tell me you haven't seen the look in her eyes," the zebra teased.

"Mawindo, we just met," Malaika said in matter-of-factly way. "It's impossible." He couldn't deny that he liked the idea. "Isn't it?"

"Nothing's impossible," smirked the zebra. "You've got a girlfriend."

"Oh, stop it," the lion chuckled.

"You've got a girlfriend!" Mawindo chanted. "You've got a girlfriend!"

"Mawindo, I'm hungry." Malaika looked at him seriously.

The zebra's smile died gradually.

"I was just messing with you."

The golden lion tapped him on the shoulder.

"Did you think I was serious? I would never hurt you. I think I've made that clear," Malaika said, trying to reassure his friend.

"For a second there, I thought you meant it," Mawindo sighed, relaxing.

"Don't you ever doubt me," Malaika said, nuzzling him. "I wouldn't ever do anything like that."

Just at that moment, Nafsi came, bringing a dead baby wildebeest with her.

"Dinner is served," she said in an inviting tone.

Mawindo's stomach turned over at the sight.

"I'll leave you alone, now. I think I'm gonna vomit," he said as he stood up, hurrying to get away.

Malaika chuckled.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, Mawindo," called Nafsi.

"Don't worry," the zebra said over his shoulder.

"Go on," Nafsi insisted.

Malaika didn't need to hear it again, and dug into the kill.

He was so hungry from a whole day of not eating that he finished almost all of it in no more than twenty minutes.

"Wow! You were starving," Nafsi said, amazed by how fast he was devouring the carcass.

"Yeah. I haven't eaten in a whole day. After that incident with Mawindo, I kind of forgot. I caught a zebra this morning, but I couldn't kill it because I heard Mwindo screaming." He neglected to mention the part that he could not bring himself to kill his prey.

"That's understandable," Nafsi agreed, lying next to him.

They bodies touched. It made Malaika want to flinch, but he suppressed the urge.

"So… how are you feeling now?" Nafsi questioned.

"I'm better, thanks." He complemented his sentence with an assuring smile.

"I'm glad about that," Nafsi said with a smile. "Mawindo told me what you went through when you were cub. I can imagine how horrible it must have been."

"It was," Malaika said. Then he lied: "But I got over it."

She saw through this instantly.

"If you feel sad, you can talk to me, if you want," she offered.

"Thanks – but I don't need to talk about it," he retorted.

"Okay. But remember: I'm always here. You can talk to me whenever you want." She nuzzled him.

This was quite shocking for Malaika.

But he liked it.

He nuzzled her back.

Then, he remembered what Hawara asked him before she died.

"When do you plan to make your attack?"

He suddenly remembered all about that horrible rogue Ubaya and what he did to his father and uncle.

Anger took over.

"What's wrong?" Nafsi asked, noticing this change in his demeanour.

Malaika had decided. It was time to make his appearance.

He wasn't sure how to tell his friends, though.

"There was something I had to do long ago. I thought I had time," he explained. "But now, I know I have to do it."

"What is it?" Nafsi asked, both interested and confused.

"I will go to my father's killer and gain his trust," Malaika said in a cold voice. "He won't recognize me. Then, when he least expects it, I'll slaughter him. Just like he did with my father and uncle."

"You mean that Ubaya guy, right?" Nafsi asked.

"Yeah. That's him," Malaika growled.

"Well, count me in," the lioness said simply.

"You want to come?" Malaika asked, surprised.

"Of course. It's not like I have anything else better to do," Nafsi replied.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me," the brown-maned lion confessed. "Let's find Mawindo. Maybe he wants to join us as well."

"Fine by me," said Nafsi. The two stood up, walking away to find their third companion.

They found him grazing in the area nearby.

"Hey, Mawindo," Malaika called.

"Hi. Did you enjoy your meal?" the zebra teased.

"Yeah. Very much," the lion chuckled. "Listen: Nafsi and I are going to make a little visit to Ubaya."

Mawindo looked shocked.

"He won't recognize me, so I am going to lie to him that I'm a rogue who wants to join his pride," he informed him.

"But why?" Mawindo stared at his friend, failing to understand.

"I am going to make him suffer," the lion explained, coldly. "Just like he made me suffer. Do you want to come with us?" He hoped that Mawindo would agree. He wanted his best friend with him.

"Of course," the zebra replied easily. "That's what friends are for."

"I'm very thankful for that," Malaika said with a happy grin.

"I know," Mawindo replied, smiling.

The three then walked back to the oasis.

"Okay, guys. We need to get some sleep," Malaika told them with a yawn. "The journey will be quite long."

"How long?" asked Nafsi curiously.

"Well, the place is about three days away from here," he said.

"Okay, then," Mawindo replied, making himself a comfortable spot to sleep in. "Goodnight."

It was a rather cloudy night. The stars weren't quite visible.

"Goodnight," said Malaika, as he put his head on his paws, ready for sleep.

"Goodnight," said Nafsi, which made Malaika open his eyes and smile at her. She did the same.

The unlikely trio fell asleep together, unaware of what the future had planned for them.

Meanwhile, in Ubaya's pride, Harufu was stood at the edge of a waterhole.

The lioness was staring at the waters, as if she was once lost, but now had found what she was looking for.

She cried, stroking her belly.

"I'm sorry, little one. It's not your fault," Harufu said through tears. "But this is the only way both of us won't suffer."

She looked at the deep water. She braced herself.

Harufu was a terrible swimmer. If she fell in the waterhole, she would drown for sure.

But that was exactly what she wanted.

Ubaya had raped her, and now she was pregnant with his cub.

She couldn't take it.

It was too much.

Harufu took a deep breath.

And jumped.

She was underneath the water in a matter of seconds.

The surface bubbled for a few minutes, and then all was calm again.

Harufu was free.

**A/N: This was tough chapter to write because I did it in a very noisy environment.**

**As always, I want to thank to **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow **_**for his great editing.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Venom**

Malaika was the first to wake up in the morning. He awoke Mawindo and Nafsi, telling them to prepare for the journey that awaited them.

They got up and every one of them went to find breakfast. They would be travelling for a long time; they needed to eat. Malaika and Nafsi, being lions, killed a wildebeest while Mawindo found some nice grass.

After they finished their meals, they reunited and prepared to depart.

Malaika led them, since he knew the way. They traveled all morning. They didn't see much, but as afternoon arrived, they soon began to notice some very beautiful things.

The trio went through what looked like a forest. A lot of baobab trees in one place. It was stunning.

"Wow. I've never seen anything like this," Nafsi said in amazement.

"Yeah. It's beautiful, isn't it?" chuckled Malaika. "I felt the same way when Hawara and I went through here once."

Malaika felt a pang of sadness upon mentioning her name. It hurt to think about her – but he had to be strong. He had to take Ubaya down. It was his debt that he owed to Hawara, his father and his uncle.

Nafsi noticed that Malaika had grown silent, and decided to change the subject.

"So, where will we stay for the night?" she asked.

Malaika didn't answer at first. He was too caught up in his thoughts.

"Hello?" the lioness called, trying to get through to him.

"What? Oh, yeah," Malaika answered, on autopilot.

"Did you hear my question at all?" Nafsi asked with a sigh.

"Uh… no. Sorry," the lion laughed, embarrassed.

"I asked you where we'll be staying for the night. We won't travel when it's dark, will we?" she added.

"No. Of course not. I know a place – only three more hours away from here. I'll show you when we get there," he assured her.

And the three unlikely friends continued travelling onwards.

Just like Malaika said, they traveled for three hours until they reached the place. It was almost night.

The place looked like a small jungle. A very attractive, cozy nook. Perfect for a night stay.

"This is it." Malaika indicated it with a movement of his head.

"It's beautiful," Nafsi complimented, taking a closer look.

"Yeah. I think it's perfect for the night. What do you think, Mawindo?"

Malaika turned his head to ask the zebra.

But he wasn't there.

Malaika instantly became worried. Mawindo was right behind them. How could he have vanished?

"Mawindo?" he called. "Mawindo!"

Nothing.

Malaika was panicking now.

"Where is he?" he asked, frightened.

"Calm down. I'm sure he's okay," Nafsi said, trying to placate the lion.

"I promised to protect him," the lion said worriedly – more to himself than Nafsi, actually. He didn't want anything to happen to his friend.

"Mawindo!" He tried one more time.

"Malaika!" sounded a voice from far away. It pleaded desperately.

Fortunately, it was Mawindo.

Malaika was glad to hear his voice, yet worried at the same time because of the tone.

He was in danger.

Without thinking, Malaika sprinted in the direction of Mawindo's voice. Nafsi followed behind.

He ran as fast as he could, hoping that Mawindo would be all right.

When he eventually did find him, he was greeted by an unusual sight.

Mawindo was caught in the embrace of a Black Mamba.

The snake was hissing, slithering through the zebra's body.

It was a "make one wrong move and you're dead" situation.

Malaika knew perfectly well how dangerous these snakes were. He couldn't lie. Mawindo was stuck in a terrible situation.

The zebra stared at his friend with fear. He didn't know what to do.

"Don't move!" Malaika instructed.

Though he tried to sound steady, his voice was laced with fear.

The Black Mamba was the most dangerous snake in Africa. One bite was enough to kill a lion in a matter of minutes.

The situation was desperate.

Mawindo stared at his friend in terror. He didn't know how to react, or how to help him escape.

"Everything's going to be okay. Just stay still," Malaika soothed, trying to calm the zebra down. Although he was just as frightened.

The lion slowly and very carefully approached his friend, crouched low to the ground.

Nafsi watched from behind.

"Do you need help?" she offered, concerned.

"No, thanks. I have to do this," Malaika whispered in response, trying not to disturb the snake.

"Malaika, what do I do?" asked Mawindo worriedly, as Malaika got closer to him.

"I'll try to distract it – then you'll have to escape," Malaika explained.

He didn't know how this distraction was going to happen, though. It was dangerous not only for Mawindo, but for him, too.

Very slowly, Malaika stretched his paw out to the snake's head – but the reptile attacked, and he was forced to quickly dodge out of the way.

This was bad.

Mawindo saw the fear in Malaika's eyes, and understood that he was in a lethal situation.

The lion looked at his friend.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of this. I promise," he told him.

Nafsi couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't just stay there and watch. She had to help.

"Malaika," she spoke quietly, joining him by his side. "I want to help."

Malaika was about to protest and tell her how dangerous it would be, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do this on his own. Instead, he simply nodded.

"Okay. You go behind Mawindo and try to distract the snake. I'll try to kill it," Malaika explained.

Nafsi carefully stood behind the zebra, trying to do her job.

"Right. Now, slowly and carefully distract it," Malaika said calmly – although he was anything but calm at the moment.

Nafsi poked the Mamba with her paw, and it worked.

The snake shifted its attention to the lioness, hissing and sliding towards her.

Malaika waited for the best moment. He gave Mawindo a reassuring glance, bracing himself.

"Come on, Malaika," Nafsi hissed.

The lion quickly dug his fangs into the snake's long body.

That startled the Black Mamba. Instinctively, it bit Mawindo's left flank.

The zebra cried out in pain.

Terror.

Malaika immediately realized what had happened. Horrified, he bit down harder on the reptile's cylindrical body; more blood poured from the wound.

The Mamba twitched for a few moments and then went limp, releasing the zebra from its grasp.

Malaika quickly removed the snake from Mawindo, who was in agony.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"It hurts!" was the only reply from the zebra.

"What happened?" asked Nafsi, alarmed.

Malaika didn't have time to answer. He just shot a worried glance at Nafsi; she understood what was happening instantly.

The poison was already coursing through Mawindo's veins. They had to do something quickly before it was too late.

Malaika moved behind Mawindo and stared at the two tiny holes in his right side.

"Malaika…" moaned the zebra in pain.

"I know, I know," the lion said, placing his paw gently on his friend's shoulder.

"What are we gonna do?" Nafsi asked, worried.

Malaika didn't answer. He knew what he had to do.

The lion leaned towards Mawindo's ear and whispered.

"I know what to do. It may hurt, but I want you to try not to move. Can you do that?" he asked.

The zebra nodded.

Malaika stared at the wound made by the snake.

He slowly leaned closely towards Mawindo's flank.

"Okay. On three," he told his friend. "One… two…"

On three, Malaika sank his fangs into the zebra's flank. He howled in pain.

Nafsi stared, shocked.

The lion was trying to suck the poison out of his friend's body; this would give him a better chance for survival.

Mawindo was in an agonizing pain. He grunted and groaned on the ground.

Malaika felt bad about it – but he knew that was his only choice.

He continued to suck the poison out for twenty minutes straight. Once he was done, he moved his bloody muzzle away from his friend's body.

Mawindo was shivering.

Malaika saw this, and lay beside him to keep him warm. Nafsi did the same form the opposite side.

"Thanks," the zebra mumbled, still quivering.

Mawindo felt blessed. He was now probably the only zebra in the world who had befriended a lion and had his life saved by one.

The three stayed like that for quite some time. Until they fell asleep together in the cold, dar


	8. Chapter 8

**Beauty**

Malaika, Mawindo and Nafsi slept together with each other, snuggled up peacefully. The events from the previous night seemed so distant, judging from their expressions – but this was not the case.

Mawindo stirred. That woke up Malaika, who immediately decided to check if his friend was okay. He breathed a big sigh of relief when Mawindo's eyes flickered open.

"How are you feeling?" whispered, the lion, trying not to wake up Nafsi.

The zebra slowly shifted his gaze towards Malaika.

"Really tired," he replied, with visible effort.

Mawindo attempted to stand, but pain shot through his body, preventing him from doing so.

"My side hurts," he grumbled.

"Don't move," said Malaika, putting him down with his paw to try and stop him.

"Okay." The zebra gave up. "I can't do it, anyway."

Nafsi woke up.

"What… Oh! Mawindo, are you ok?" the lioness cried, remembering what had happened.

"Yeah. I'm just tired," the zebra answered in a dry voice.

"Do you want something? Food? water? Tell me," insisted Malaika.

"I could use some water," the zebra weakly replied.

"Yeah, but how?" Malaika wondered. He remembered a river being near them, but he couldn't bring water to Mawindo and the zebra was unable to walk by himself.

He looked at Nafsi, as if searching for an answer – but he already knew what to do.

Malaika did what he thought was the only option.

"I have to carry you to the river, Mawindo. Are you okay with that?" the lion asked.

"Yeah," Mawindo replied without hesitation.

Malaika leaned forward and bit Mawindo's striped little mane, pulling him up a little so he could gently sling him over his back.

"I'll go and find some food," Nafsi told him. "I'll meet you back here."

"Thanks," said Malaika and proceeded leaving with Mawindo on his back.

The lion slowly carried the zebra to the river.

"Are you okay back there?" asked Malaika, shooting a glance towards his best friend.

"Great," Mawindo answered briefly.

When they reached the river, Malaika gently put Mawindo down. He helped him to drink from the waters.

"Thanks," the striped friend said as he pulled out his muzzle. "And thank you."

"No problem," Malaika replied, smiling. He understood what his friend meant by the two thank yous.

But, the next moment, Mawindo's face fell.

His friend immediately noticed the change.

"What's wrong?" Malaika asked, concerned. "Are you in pain?"

"No," Mawindo replied.

"You feel sick?" the lion suggested.

"No. Not that," the striped animal said.

"Then what it is?" Malaika asked, confused this time.

Mawindo let out a sigh.

"You saved my life, Malaika," Mawindo said. "Now we're even."

"Yeah. So?" Malaika didn't understand what Mawindo was trying to say.

"Well, now that we're even, wouldn't that… make things… different?"

The zebra stared into Malaika's eyes for a second, then down at the ground.

The lion understood now. Mawindo's thought process was that if he saved him and they were even, Malaika wouldn't want to be his friend anymore.

The brown-maned lion lifted the zebra's chin with a paw, so that he could look into his eyes.

"No. That'll never happen," he assured him. "You're my best friend, Mawindo – and that won't change. Ever." He spoke in the most genuine tone possible.

Malaika touched heads with Mawindo. They stayed like that for a few minutes

"But I'm not the only one in your life," Mawindo said in a joking tone, complementing it with a sly smile.

"What are you talking about?" the golden lion asked.

"Don't pretend you haven't noticed," the zebra said again.

Malaika didn't say a word. He just stared questioningly.

Mawindo lost patience and went straight to the subject. "Nafsi!"

Malaika laughed.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked through chuckles.

"Well, probably. Yes," Mawindo admitted. "My best friend is a lion, after all – but I'm serious. She really likes you."

Malaika just stared at his friend for a moment, trying to spot any indication that he was joking. But he couldn't.

"You are serious," he said.

"Of course I am! Why do you think I'm telling you this? I'm not teasing you or anything," Mawindo said in frustration.

"That's… Uh…" Malaika couldn't find the right words to use at that moment.

Mawindo tried to help. "Great?"

"No, I've…" The lion still couldn't finish.

"Go on! Tell me what's wrong," Mawindo insisted. "We're friends. You know you can tell me anything."

"I've never been with a girl," Malaika admitted, ashamed. If he were a human, he would've blushed at that moment.

Mawindo immediately understood what his friend meant. He looked at him sympathetically, wondering what he could do to help.

"Malaika, there is nothing to be ashamed of." The zebra looked into his friend's eyes. "I was nervous, too. But you'll see there's nothing to worry about. It comes naturally. It's instinctive." His expression offered courage.

The lion's fear gradually subsided. He managed a slight smile.

"You've managed to calm me. How did you do that?" he asked.

"I know how to calm you," the zebra grinned. "Now, let's get out of here."

Malaika immediately helped him get up, offering his back again. But, this time, Mawindo refused.

"No, thanks. I want to try on my own," Mawindo said, shakily starting to walk.

"Are you sure?" Malaika asked, uncertain that he would be able to manage.

"Yes. Don't worry about me," the zebra said honestly.

They walked slowly back to the little jungle, where Nafsi was waiting for them.

The lioness had caught a water buffalo. However, she didn't want to disturb Mawindo so she had hidden it away from him.

"Well, well, you're tough, aren't you?" she said with a smile, complimenting Mawindo's quick regain of strength.

He chuckled. "I might be. I walk with lions," the zebra joked, limping a little.

He then settled down, wanting to rest.

Nafsi smiled at him, amused.

Malaika felt a flutter of nervousness again when he neared her – but there was something else, too. She smelt different. A scent that unlocked some hidden instincts, causing him to forget about his nervousness for a moment. Until she snapped him out of his trance.

"I caught breakfast – but it's hidden in some other place. I didn't want to disturb Mawindo." She glanced back at the zebra.

"But what if Mawindo gets into trouble again?" Malaika pointed out.

"Relax. Nothing's gonna happen to me. See? I'm not in the jungle now," the zebra said.

And it was true. He was in front of the jungle.

"He's right," Nafsi agreed. "Besides, if he does get into trouble, he can always call for us. We'd be there in seconds."

Malaika gave her point some thought. He didn't want to lose his chance to be with her. But he didn't want his friend to get hurt again.

"Okay," Malaika said. "Just one moment."

He whispered something in Mawindo's ear.

"Are you going to be okay here alone?" the lion asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. Spend some time together," Mawindo insisted.

"Thanks. You're the best friend ever." Malaika nuzzled him. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"There's no need to hurry. I'll be here," the zebra assured him.

Malaika left him to rest and headed over to Nafsi.

"What was that?" she asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing. Guy business," he teased.

"Oh, really?" the lioness quickly pushed him, causing him to fall to the ground. She shot ahead, laughing.

Malaika quickly got to his paws and sprinted after her.

Mawindo lay there, watching as they ran off.

He smiled to himself and rested his head on the ground, falling asleep.

In the midafternoon, Ubaya woke up from his regular lazy nap. He had been doing the same thing every day. Eat, sleep, and repeat.

The lazy lion stood up and walked outside.

He wondered where Harufu was. He hadn't seen her for two days, due to him not paying any attention.

Ubaya headed to the waterhole to get a drink.

He leaned down and started lapping up the crystal fluid.

Then something caught his eye.

A paw.

His gaze followed it. When he saw the limb it was attached to, he abruptly stood back.

It was Hurufu's dead body, floating on the surface.

Ubaya was instantly filled with rage.

"You stupid bitch!" he growled, rushing into the water. "You killed my heir!"

He started ripping apart the body, blood corrupting the clean water. He bit and chewed at her skin, tearing away chunks of flesh. Until there was nothing left of her body. Just a mangled mess of assorted body parts swirling around in the crimson waters.

When Ubaya eventually calmed down – blood covering his muzzle and guts staining his fur – he got out of the bloody waterhole and begun to leave.

However, he turned around to give Harufu one last compliment.

He said one last thing to the mangled corpse.

"Now you look beautiful."

The pieces of flesh and bone floated calmly in the waterhole.

Ubaya was used to treating his pride badly. He was ruthless, egotistical and cared for nobody but himself. He'd put the pride through suffering, purely for his own entertainment.

The vicious rogue wanted nothing more than to be a king. He didn't care for his pride members, though. He just wanted to rule and have heirs to continue his tyranny somewhere in a different pride.

But his plans had gone wrong. He was furious about it. But devouring Hurufu's body had cheered him up a little.

Mawindo fell asleep, as he had nothing else to do.

But that was a huge mistake when you had nobody to protect you in such a perilous environment. Especially if you were someone that most predators enjoyed having for breakfast.

Mawindo just slept peacefully, not troubled in the slightest.

Away in the savannah, in the late afternoon, Malaika and Nafsi were having a great time together.

They had breakfast, then wandered around for some time until they found some good shade under a big tree. They rested there for a few hours, talking and enjoying each other's company.

Nafsi had started to develop feelings for Malaika.

She had never seen a lion so gracious and caring. The others had only tried to mate her. They didn't care about her feelings. However, Malaika seemed to. The way he treated her and the way he treated his friend were proof enough of that. The fact that he'd put his instincts away to be friends with a zebra – and actually succeeded at it – told Nafsi that he was one of a kind.

Malaika felt the same way for her. Although he'd met her not so long ago, he immediately took a liking to the lioness. Just the sight of her beautiful emerald eyes had knocked him off his feet.

He'd never had a relationship with a female before. Well, except for Hawara, but this was different.

He was… in love.

The two lions talked about random subjects, both of them glad to be with the other.

"You amaze me, Malaika," Nafsi said with a warm smile.

"Why?" he asked, interested.

"You're such a sweet lion. All the others I've met were only brainless, rough jerks. You're something… different. Unique."

Once again, Malaika would have blushed if he were human.

"Thank you," he said. "You know, I feel the same way about you. You have the most beautiful eyes I've seen. You're the best hunter and the nicest lioness I've ever met."

The compliment made Nafsi so happy. He liked her… for her. Not because she was a female object he could apply his desires to.

She really liked him. Maybe even loved him.

Nafsi nudged him away again.

She wanted him to follow her as she ran away.

And he did.

They ran until Malaika reached her and leapt on her. They rolled, laughing, until Malaika found himself on top of Nafsi.

Once more, he was lost in her eyes.

Nafsi stared at him seductively. She licked his cheek, which made him relax in pleasure. He continued to stare at her, his lips curving into a smile.

Malaika let her up and she brushed her tail under his chin.

He smelled that scent again.

It made him excited. He couldn't explain it – but he felt urges rising inside of him.

Nafsi sent him an alluring stare and ran into the jungle.

He didn't need another call. He followed her, both of them disappearing into the jungle.

That night was going to be Malaika's best night, as a lot was to come for him.

**A/N: First of all, I want to apologize for the delay but I was busy… I know you probably don't care and you're not here to listen to my excuses, though I felt that you deserve to know.**

**Second of all, I know you've probably noticed Chapter 7's end misses a few words.**

"**cold, dark night.", That's all, fortunately.**

**As always, thank you, ThatPersonYouMightKnow for your brilliant edit!**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Pride**

In the jungle, two lions slept tonight.

Malaika and Nafsi were snuggled up to each other, sleeping in the most peaceful way imaginable.

They had a great night together. It certainly was Malaika's best night.

But they couldn't stay there for ever. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

Malaika woke up first. The sight of the sleeping Nafsi snuggled up to him made his muzzle curl into a smile.

He leaned forward and nuzzled the lioness, waking her up.

"Morning, sleepy head," he said.

"Morning," replied Nafsi sleepily, nuzzling him back. "How was it?"

"The best night of my life," Malaika said, happy.

Nafsi smiled.

"Mine, too." She licked his muzzle, before remembering something. "Should we go to Mawindo now? We left him there all alone."

Malaika suddenly remembered. They did leave him alone.

The snake incident was still very clear in his head, and that made him very worried.

"Yeah. You're right," he said, standing up. "We should find him."

Nafsi followed him, leaving to find Mawindo.

The zebra was lying in the shade of a nearby tree. He was waiting for them.

He wondered what had happened with Malaika and Nafsi.

They were gone for the whole night. It seemed that there had been something going on.

The zebra smiled at the thought.

His friend had finally found a mate.

As he was thinking about this, Malaika and Nafsi emerged from the bushes.

"Hey. There you are," he said happily.

"Did you have a good night?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, yes," replied Malaika, looking at Nafsi. "We had a great night. But it won't be as good as our morning."

Malaika was looking hungrily at him.

The zebra noticed this. Instantly, he didn't like it.

"Malaika, why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, somewhat afraid. The smile disappeared from his face – just as one formed on the lion's.

"Oh, that? We haven't had a breakfast yet, and I don't feel like hunting. How about you, sweetie?"

"Nah," said Nafsi. "Why should we? Our breakfast is already served." The lioness stared at Mawindo.

The zebra began to feel frightened.

"Guys, is this some kind of a sick joke?" the zebra asked, hoping that it was.

"Do we look like we're joking, steak?" Malaika asked in an ice cold voice, preparing for a leap.

Mawindo's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Malaika?" he managed to say, before he was pinned to the ground by the lion.

"Why?" the zebra asked weakly, shaking. "I thought we—"

"What? That we were friends?" Malaika cut in. He laughed. "Oh, Mawindo… did you seriously believe that was possible?"

Mawindo was going nowhere. But he didn't even try to fight. He was far too shocked.

"Besides, I have other things to care for," the lion said, looking over his shoulder at Nafsi, who was smiling. "Come, my love. Dinner is served."

He looked back at the zebra.

"Sorry, Mawindo. Nothing personal."

Seconds later, Malaika and Nafsi started eating him alive. They didn't even kill him first in order to spare him from the agony.

Mawindo was screaming.

"I saved you! I saved your life!"

Malaika lifted his bloody muzzle, sneering at him evilly.

"You should've let me die," he said, and continued to rip big chunks of meat from his 'friend', as Nafsi did the same.

Blood spurted from every part of Mawindo's agonized body.

"No! No! No! No…"

"Mawindo!"

Mawindo opened his eyes and saw Malaika leaning over him.

He instantly shuffled backwards, panting uncontrollably.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just us!" Malaika said, trying to calm his friend.

But Mawindo looked terrified.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Nafsi asked sympathetically.

The zebra was just looking at them, wide-eyed, as if they were terrible monsters who wanted to execute him.

"Mawindo… are you okay?" Malaika asked, worried. The zebra looked as though he was about to collapse.

He exchanged glances with Nafsi. A silent way of asking her what to do.

She just nodded.

He understood.

The lion slowly started approaching Mawindo; this made the zebra even more terrified.

Malaika noticed, and stopped.

"Mawindo, it's me," he assured him. "Why are you afraid of me?"

"No… No…" Mawindo breathed. He was still suffering flashbacks of his dream.

Malaika didn't like to see his friend in this state. He wanted to help him.

Without any other option, Malaika continued to walk towards Mawindo. The zebra tried to escape – but Malaika stopped him.

"No!" the zebra yelled.

"Calm down, calm down. It's okay," Malaika whispered soothingly in Mawindo's ear, holding him down.

Eventually, Mawindo stopped struggling and surrendered. He started crying softly.

"Oh, poor thing," Nafsi said sympathetically. "He's really frightened."

Malaika nuzzled him comfortingly.

"Don't be afraid of me. I said I would never hurt you," the golden lion tried to assure the zebra.

Nafsi walked over, offering comfort from herself.

"Do you want to talk about the nightma—"

"No." He was quick to interrupt her.

"Okay. But if you decide you do want to talk about it, I'm here," she said.

Nafsi nuzzled Mawindo, too.

Mawindo slowly calmed down.

I must've gone crazy, he thought to himself.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Malaika, sill holding Mawindo in his embrace.

"Yeah," replied Mawindo, his throat hoarse both from the screaming and the crying.

"Okay." Malaika helped Mawindo stand up.

"We need to continue with our journey," he informed the zebra and the lioness. "If all goes well, we'll arrive by this afternoon."

"Fine by me. If Mawindo is okay with it, that is," Nafsi said.

"I' all right," the zebra assured them.

"Okay, then. We'll have breakfast and then we'll leave," Malaika said.

The word 'breakfast' made Mawindo tense up again – especially hearing it from Malaika's mouth.

But he didn't show it.

The trio had breakfast. Malaika and Nafsi – together. Mawindo – alone.

After that, they continued on their journey, hoping that they would arrive on time.

"Listen now," said Malaika. "Ubaya knows me. I mean, he knew me as a cub – and he remembers my name for sure. So, to fool him, you need to call me by another name."

"Why you just don't challenge him on place?" Nafsi asked, confused.

"I want to do it when he least expects it. I'll gain his trust at first – and then I'll attack. I want to make him pay for what he did to me." He said the last part with venom.

"Well, what name do you want me to call you?" Nafsi asked.

"Shetani," answered Malaika.

"The polar opposite to your name," Nafsi chuckled.

"Yeah. I like the irony," he said, chuckling along.

The lion noticed that Mawindo was tagging along quite a distance behind them, looking silently down at the ground.

It was obvious that the nightmare was still on his mind.

Malaika motioned for Nafsi to stop and wait for him.

"Mawindo, I have to tell you something," he said, hurrying over to his friend.

"What is it?" Mawindo asked.

"Don't get this the wrong way, but when we arrive, I need you not to show up with us. The pride will kill you, and I don't want that to happen," Malaika explained, trying not to hurt the zebra's feelings.

The zebra just nodded.

"So, you're okay with that?", the lion asked.

"Yeah. No problem," Mawindo replied quietly.

Malaika wasn't quite convinced, so he nodded towards Nafsi to wait for them and the three walked together.

They passed through a hot, desert-like area and soon reached a small gorge. Between the two edges there was a big tree, most likely uprooted by a storm. It allowed safe passage across the chasm.

"Okay. We have to cross this," Malaika stated.

"Cross it?" Nafsi exclaimed in high voice.

"Yeah. Why?" the brown-maned lion asked.

"Nothing. I… I…"

Nafsi looked troubled.

"What is it, Nafsi?" asked Malaika. "Tell me."

"I'm… afraid of heights," she admitted, staring into Malaika's eyes.

He understood.

"All right, then. Mawindo!" He motioned for Mawindo to join them. "You go first. Nafsi and I will be right behind you."

The zebra obeyed.

He stepped onto the tree and slowly began walking to the other end.

Malaika waited until Mawindo was at a safe distance before turning to Nafsi.

"You can do this. I know you can," he told her.

"I hope you're right," she replied in a whisper.

"Okay. Let's do this."

Slowly, and very carefully, they made their way across the tree.

"Oh, God…" Nafsi was squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"Easy… easy…" Malaika repeated.

"Oh…" She felt sick.

"Come on, Nafsi. You can do this," the lion said encouragingly.

Nafsi walked shakily on the round tree. She was starting to accept that she had to do it.

But, suddenly, she made a wrong step.

She fell – but managed to hold on to the tree with her paws.

"Nafsi!" Malaika cried.

In a split second, he was there, holding her.

Mawindo heard this, and turned around to see what was happening.

He quickly rushed to Malaika's aid.

"Gosh, you are so much alike," the zebra said. "Do you need help?"

"No, thanks, Mawindo." Malaika assured, "I got this."

"Don't let me fall!" Nafsi wailed, "Please!"

"Look at me!" Malaika said.

Nafsi stared deeply into his eyes.

"I won't let you fall. Understand?"

Suddenly, all her doubts seemed to fade away.

"Now, I need you to help me with this. I will pull you – but try to push yourself upwards as well. Okay?"

Nafsi nodded.

"Okay, and… now!"

Malaika started pulling her up.

"Come on, Nafsi! Try harder!" he grunted.

He pulled with all his might, and, in the end, he succeeded in getting the lioness to safety.

"Are you okay?" Malaika asked, breathing heavily.

"Yeah. I'm okay," she answered.

"Let's get to the other side." He was reminded that they needed to hurry. "Come on, Mawindo."

The trio finally reached the other end. Nafsi breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've never felt so happy to be on the ground!" she said awkwardly.

Malaika nuzzled her.

"I would never leave you hanging," he said.

"I know." She nuzzled him back.

Mawindo watched them.

He started feeling something that he couldn't explain.

Was it… jealousy?

Loneliness?

He didn't know.

"Come on, guys. We're almost there," Malaika said to his friends.

They continued on their path.

Ubaya had no idea what was coming to him.

He was resting, as usual, on his rock. He loved it there. The sun couldn't reach him because he was under the shade.

He waited lazily for the lionesses to bring him his food.

He made them hunt four times a day – and barely left anything for them.

He ate like a pig and made almost no motion.

He only slept, ate and mated.

But after Hurufu, he had no chance in getting any other lioness in the pride pregnant.

This made him pretty frustrated. He was desperate to pass his genes.

He wanted an heir.

Malaika, Mawindo and Nafsi finally arrived. They hid behind a tree and watched the king.

"So that's Ubaya?" asked Nafsi.

"Yeah. The bastard who killed my father and uncle," Malaika growled.

"His eyes are quite intimidating," commented Mawindo.

"Now, listen," Malaika began. "Nafsi and I will go to him and tell him that we're rogues, searching for a pride. We'll also say that we mean no harm and that we'll be very loyal to him."

He turned to Mawindo.

"Mawindo, you hide near the trees. The lionesses don't go there," Malaika told his friend. "I'll visit you tonight. I promise."

"Okay." Mawindo nodded in understanding and silently headed to the trees.

"Mawindo," Malaika called, whispering.

The zebra stopped and turned around.

"Take care."

His friend smiled, and Mawindo returned it.

The zebra continued on his way.

"Nafsi, it's time," the lion commanded and motioned.

"Here goes," she said expectantly.

The two lions emerged from their hiding spot and walked over to Ubaya.

"Good afternoon," Malaika said to him in a nice tone.

"Who are you?" Ubaya asked alarmed.

"I am Shetani, and this is Nafsi. We mean no harm. We just want to join this pride. May we speak with the king?" Malaika asked, pretending that he didn't know who he was speaking to.

"I am the king," Ubaya proclaimed in a strict tone.

"Your Majesty, we have travelled a long way," Nafsi said. "We've asked to join a lot of prides – but none of them have accepted us. We promise we'll be loyal to you. We just want to be in a pride. Rogue life has been hard for us."

Ubaya had his eye on her.

Such a young, healthy lioness, he thought. She's perfect to bear cubs. Maybe I can use this to my advantage.

"Well, I don't mind you joining my pride," Ubaya said, smiling warmly at Nafsi. "It'll be handy to have extras."

"So, we can, sir?" Malaika asked.

"Yes," said Ubaya with a nod.

"Oh, thank you, sir. I promise that you won't be disappointed with us," Nafsi assured.

Ubaya smiled evilly.

"I know."

He pointed at something in the distance.

"There's the den. You can sleep in it," he instructed. "The lionesses will bring the kill soon."

"That's great. Thank you very much," Malaika said politely.

"No problem," Ubaya said.

And Malaika and Nafsi's plan began.

The lionesses arrived with the kill soon after the king had accepted them into his pride.

They all greeted their new pride members, neither of them noticing that Shetani was actually Malaika: the son of their king that Ubaya had killed.

The night came.

The pride fell asleep in the den.

Except for Malaika.

He had to visit Mawindo. He promised him.

Silently, he went outside and ran to the trees to find his friend.

He reached them.

"Mawindo? Are you there?" he called.

But nobody answered.

"Mawindo?" Malaika called again.

He looked around and spotted a silhouette, stood under a tree.

"Mawindo?" he asked, slowly approaching it.

It was indeed Mawindo.

Crying.

"What's the matter?" Malaika asked, concerned.

Mawindo jumped, startled.

He hadn't noticed Malaika at all.

"Malaika? What are you doing here?" the zebra asked.

"I promised that I'd visit you, remember?" he said.

"Now, tell me," Malaika said as he lay beside his friend. "Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Mawindo lied.

"Then why were you crying?" Malaika challenged.

Mawindo didn't answer.

"Come on, Mawindo," he urged. "You know you can tell me anything."

Mawindo sighed. He knew he had to tell him.

Besides, he wanted to get it off his chest.

"It's about the nightmare," the zebra confessed.

"Tell me, then," Malaika encouraged.

Mawindo told him everything in detail. From the beginning to the end.

Malaika had a shocked expression on his face by the end.

"So that's why you were so frightened when you saw me," Malaika said in realisation.

"Yeah," Mawindo said.

"But I'd never do that," the lion swore. "If I wanted to do it, I would've done it after you saved me."

"I know, but…" Mawindo left the sentence unfinished.

Malaika gave him a brotherly nuzzle.

"Never doubt me," he said. "I would rather kill myself than do such a thing to do."

As awkward as this sounded coming from a lion's mouth, it was the truth.

That night, Malaika stayed with Mawindo for some more time. Eventually, though, he had to leave – but he promised that he would visit again tomorrow.

And by the time he got back to the den, cuddled up with Nafsi, he was fast asleep.

**A/N: This chapter was quite entertaining to write, especially the dream sequence.**

**Thank you, **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** for the glorious edits.**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Cub**

The pride accepted the newcomers quite warmly. None of them were aware, however, that they were there to serve justice.

Their former king's son, who they thought was dead, had returned. He was among them. However, none of the lionesses recognized him. They just thought he was a rogue. Someone who wanted shelter and company.

But that was what he _wanted_ them to think.

Malaika's plan to gain Ubaya's trust had been set in motion.

He woke up the next morning, after Nafsi, and he joined the pride, hoping that his plan would work.

After the pride was awakened by the king, he sent all the lionesses – including Nafsi – on a morning hunt as soon as they woke up.

She wasn't too happy about it. But Malaika just shot her a glance that said, "_You need to do it_,"and she understood that it was for the best to obey.

As the lionesses departed, Malaika found himself left alone with Ubaya.

It was what he wanted.

Now he could start the game.

The lion and the king went outside and lay in the shade.

Ubaya was on his rock, of course.

It looked as though he were sat atop a throne; the symbol of his power.

There was a silence between them. Malaika wasn't sure how to break it.

But he didn't need to. Ubaya did it for him.

"So where are you coming from?" he asked in his gruff voice.

Malaika quickly composed a lie.

"I'm from the east," he began. "I lived in a pride before this, but I left when I reached adolescence. You know how it is." Malaika indicated the custom. "I met Nafsi after that, and the two of us have been wandering ever since. It was about time we found a pride."

"Why didn't you start a pride of your own?" Ubaya asked, interested.

"I've never been able to. There was always something that prevented me from doing it. Besides, I've found a pride now," Malaika explained.

"Well, I took over this pride," Ubaya revealed.

Malaika knew where this was going – but he kept his composure and acted like he didn't know what the king was talking about.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. Their king was too easy to defeat. I didn't even have fun," Ubaya told him, sounding bored about the whole ordeal.

Malaika felt the urge to attack him.

_How could he dare?_ He asked himself in outrage.

But the golden lion knew it wouldn't do him any good, so he just continued with his act.

"Shame on him," Malaika said. It made his heart ache to say that.

Ubaya sneered. "You should've seen him. He was horrified." He affected a look of mock sadness. "And his son – oh, his son. I promised his father before I kicked him out that I wouldn't kill his cub – but I was just fooling around."

He grinned. "I had plans for him. But, sadly, he ran away." The king sighed; obviously, he wasn't very happy that his object he wanted to apply his sadism to had gone.

"Sad, indeed," Malaika said in a low voice, remembering every single moment of that day very well.

At that moment, the lionesses arrived with the kill.

It was for the best, really. If Ubaya had gone any further, Malaika probably would have lost his temper and attacked him.

The kill was a zebra. From the two lions' point of view, it looked like Mawindo.

Malaika's heart started racing.

"Are you okay?" Ubaya asked, noticing this.

"Yeah. Why?" Malaika replied, trying not to show his fear.

"You look like you saw a ghost," the brown lion explained.

"Really? Well, I didn't." Malaika tried to sound as steady as possible. But he did fear that the lionesses might have actually killed his friend.

"Well, time to eat." The king lazily rose from his throne and climbed down.

"Are you coming?" Ubaya asked.

"Yep." Malaika joined him quickly.

He wanted to make sure that this was not Mawindo as fast as possible, but without attracting attention.

When he got to the corpse, he breathed a big sigh of relief.

It wasn't Mawindo.

"Let's eat," Ubaya said to Malaika.

As males, the had the privilege to eat first – but Malaika refused.

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry," he said politely.

"Suit yourself," answered Ubaya, as he continued to devour the animal.

Malaika made a disgusted face.

He walked over to Nafsi, who was standing beside him.

"How—"

She cut him off. "Don't ask."

"Okay. Do you want to take a walk?" Malaika offered.

"That'd be very good," she answered, without hesitation.

The two of them left the king and his pride to have their breakfast. After all, they could get their own at any time.

As they walked around, Malaika couldn't help but notice how exhausted she looked.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm exhausted. That bastard wanted us to hunt really far out – and dragging that zebra back didn't help much," the lioness replied angrily.

"We need to lay low and obey for now," Malaika explained. "It's too soon to make a move."

"I don't know if I could handle such an attitude. I don't want him to order me around," Nafsi said, rather defiantly.

"Well, don't think I feel better. I was left alone with him." Malaika looked down at the ground. "And then he started talking about my father…"

Nafsi looked outraged. "Oh, God – that prick! What did he say?"

"He told me the story of how he became king here," he growled. "As if I hadn't didn't experience it with my own eyes…"

"Well, he doesn't know who you are. If he found out…" The lioness didn't finish.

"He'll know soon enough," Malaika said venomously.

"Come on. I'll catch breakfast. I feel like killing something," the lion said angrily.

Nafsi and Malaika walked away from the kingdom.

After having breakfast, they considered visiting Mawindo.

"How's Mawindo?" asked Nafsi.

"Not very good," answered Malaika, staring down at the ground.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"I visited him last night when everyone was asleep. I found him crying," the lion told her.

"But why?" Nafsi questioned, now quite concerned.

"He told me about his nightmare. We were eating him alive." The upset lion looked his mate in the eyes.

She gasped.

"So that's why he was so scared," she said, remembering the zebra's behavior.

"Yeah. I think we should go and assure him," Malaika suggested. "I think he might have doubts."

"You're right," Nafsi agreed. "He probably needs it."

The two lions visited the trees where Mawindo was hiding. They didn't know where to look for him, but they could always catch his scent.

They eventually did so. However, it didn't help much; they still couldn't see Mawindo anywhere.

And with his scent there was something else, too.

The smell of blood.

"Did you smell that?" Nafsi asked.

"Yeah," Malaika replied, narrowing his eyes. "Blood."

"We have to find Mawindo – fast. He's hurt," the lioness said urgently.

"Relax," Malaika said, completely calm. "It's not his blood."

"How do you know?" Nafsi asked.

"He's been injured in my presence," Malaika explained. "And I was the one that sucked the poison out of his body. Remember?"

"That makes sense," said the green-eye lioness.

"Let's find out whose it is," Malaika suggested.

"Okay," Nafsi agreed.

The two lions then carefully followed the scent of blood in the air.

The trail ended at a bush.

"Whatever it is, it's in the bush," the golden lion informed his mate.

"Let's see," Nafsi said.

Malaika carefully moved some of the branches away.

What he saw made both him and Nafsi gasp.

"Oh, my God," Malaika breathed, shocked.

In the bush, the mauled form of a young lion cub lay in the bushes. He was stained with blood.

Malaika got closer to see if he was alive. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's alive," Malaika said. "But in a very bad condition."

"What are we going to do? We can't just leave the poor thing here. He'll die." Nafsi's motherly instincts had arisen.

"Of course we won't leave him. But we can't bring him into the pride. Ubaya will kill him," the lion said, worried.

"Hey – I've got an idea," the lioness said happily. "Why don't we ask Mawindo to take care of him? He needs company, after all, since we won't be able to visit him that much."

"That's a brilliant idea," Malaika said. "I hope he won't mind."

"I think he'll like it," Nafsi chuckled.

"Let's find him," Malaika said, as he gently picked up the broken cub and placed it across his back.

Nafsi and he then began to search for Mawindo.

They soon found him grazing.

He saw them, and was quick to greet the two lions.

It wasn't long before he noticed the cub on his friend's back.

"God, what had happened to him?" he asked in shock.

"We don't know for sure. We found him like this, thrown in a bush," Malaika said.

"Oh, poor thing," Mawindo said sympathetically. "Who would do such a thing?"

"We don't know," Nafsi said. "But Malaika and I were wondering if you would do us a favour."

"Go ahead," Mawindo nodded.

"Would you agree to take care for him – just temporarily?" Malaika asked hopefully. "You see, Ubaya will kill him if we bring him back to the pride."

Mawindo grinned widely.

"Of course. I would love to!" the zebra replied happily.

"Thanks, Maw. You are a truly great friend." Nafsi thanked him with a nuzzle.

"I second that," Malaika added with a smile.

The lion slowly moved the cub from his back to Mawindo's.

"We should probably go now. Ubaya will get suspicious if we're missing for too long," Malaika said.

"You're right. We don't want to be discovered," Nafsi replied.

The two lions turned around, taking the path back to the pride.

Malaika turned around one last time.

"We'll come to visit you soon, again," Malaika assured his friend. He directed a look at the injured cub. "And take a good care of him."

"I'll do my best," Mawindo proclaimed.

Malaika and Nafsi then left. The zebra was left alone with the injured, bloody cub.

"Come on, little fella. Let's get you cleaned up," Mawindo said to the small, bloody form on his back, walking off to find somewhere where there was water.

**A/N: As usual, I'll give my thanks to **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** for his brilliant edits.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Meeting**

Malaika and Nafsi returned to the pride by sunset. They were extremely careful not to arouse attention. But this wasn't possible. Their sneaking off did cause some suspicious glances among the lionesses.

They tried to ignore the glances – but then a lioness spoke up.

"Where've you two been going lately? You're always somewhere else," she said suspiciously.

This caught them off guard. But Malaika quickly composed a convincing lie.

"We… walk around," he said. "Exploring the territory."

"Right…" the lioness said, still sounding uncertain. "But we would prefer it if you were here most of the time. We're supposed to be a family."

"No problem." This time Nafsi answered. "We'll try not to wander off so much." She looked at Malaika. "Right?"

"Yeah. Sure," he answered, looking at Nafsi and then at the lioness who was speaking to them.

"Great." She indicated Nafsi. "Nafsi, the king had told the rest of us to hunt – but he said that he wanted to have a talk with you."

"Me?" She found herself confused. "But why?"

The lioness shrugged. "I don't know," she said, "but he wants to speak with you now."

"But he wants to speak with you now." She explained.

Nafsi looked at Malaika, concerned.

"Be careful," the lioness whispered in Nafsi's ear, before she and her pride mates departed to hunt.

"See you later." Nafsi called, watching as she left the den with the rest of the lionesses.

Malaika came close to Nafsi.

"What did she whisper to you?" he asked, curious.

"To be careful," she answered truthfully.

"But why does that scum want to speak with you?" the lion asked, anger evident in his tone.

"I've got no idea," Nafsi replied simply. "But I'll find out."

She headed off to look for Ubaya – but Malaika soon followed her.

"Oh, no, no, no. You stay here," Nafsi said.

"No way! I'm not leaving you alone with _him_!" Malaika flushed angrily.

"Calm down. See? You're too angry. _That's_ why I want to be alone to do this," Nafsi explained calmly, regarding her mate's behavior. "You might blow our cover."

Malaika hesitated for a moment, but then gave in.

"Okay," he said, sounding calmer now.

"But… please… be careful." The lion couldn't disguise the concern on his face.

"Don't worry about it." She gave him a nuzzle for reassurance. "I'll be back in five minutes."

The light-pelted lioness then disappeared, heading off in search of Ubaya.

Malaika was left alone. But he stayed there. He wanted to be close, in case Nafsi needed help. Ubaya wasn't someone he could trust. After all, he did kill his father, uncle, and enslaved the entire pride. He could do anything to Nafsi – and that made him extremely worried.

Ubaya, on the other hand, was resting – as usual – lazily on the rock.

He didn't do much. Except for give out orders.

He awaited Nafsi's arrival. He knew that she would come. Being a king, he was the most important animal here. Nobody would dare to ignore him.

His mind was filled with thoughts about the lioness.

Her fur, her body, her lines…

She was the most beautiful lioness he had ever seen. No other lioness from his pride could be compared to her.

He failed to have a cub with Harufu – but he could always try with a different lioness.

_Nafsi…_

He couldn't deny that these thoughts turned him on.

At that moment, Nafsi arrived, in all her glory.

"You called me, Your Majesty." She bowed gracefully in front of the lion.

"Ah, yes," he said happily. "I've been expecting you. Please, come and sit beside me." He offered up the space next to him on the rock.

Nafsi was unsure of whether to sit beside him – but she did it anyway.

"Now, Nafsi…" He spoke in a seducing tone which the lioness didn't take kindly to. "Do you like it here?" He smiled at her.

"Y-yeah," Nafsi stammered uncertainly. She didn't like the look on his face. Not at all.

"Good. And is your… _friend_ around?" The smile never seemed to leave his face.

"No. " Now she _really_ didn't like this. "Why do you ask?"

The smile evolved into an evil grin.

"Oh, nothing. Just checking," Ubaya answered innocently.

"Why did you call me here?" Nafsi asked. She wanted to leave already.

"I wanted to…" he got uncomfortably close to her, "ask you for a favor." He purred as he said this.

Nafsi tensed up.

"Favor? What kind of a favor?" She turned her head away, averting the gaze from his evil golden eyes.

"Would you like to be my—"

At that moment, a lioness entered the scene. She looked tired, an urgent expression on her face.

"Your Majesty!" she cried, breathing heavily.

Ubaya became extremely angry.

How dare she interrupt me now! he thought angry.

"What is it?" Ubaya asked. The anger was audible in his voice.

"A lioness was injured during the hunt. We tried to stop the bleeding, but—"

She was cut off by the angry king. "Why are you telling me this, Mganga? You take care of it!" he growled.

"I told you. We tried, but—"

"I don't want to hear excuses!" Ubaya roared, interrupting her again. "And don't you interrupt me when I'm having a conversation ever again!"

"I am sorry, Your Majesty," the lioness said, hanging her head in shame.

Seeing an opportunity to escape from Ubaya, Nafsi took it immediately.

"I can help," she offered, approaching Mganga. "I know how to stop the bleeding." She turned to the enraged king. "Excuse me, Your Majesty. We can continue this conversation some other time."

She whispered hurriedly into Mganga's ear. "Let's go – fast." She was desperate to get away from Ubaya as quickly as possible.

The two lionesses left the mad Ubaya alone.

His anger could not be contained.

She ruined everything! he thought, clenching his teeth.

He was so mad, he felt like killing something.

Yeah. Murder. Slaughter. Death. That would make him feel better.

Ubaya left his favorite rock, in search of an animal that he could expel his anger on.

Malaika waited for Nafsi to return. He was nervous.

The that she was Ubaya made him feel even worse. He was the evillest lion he had ever encountered – and now his lover was in his presence.

It was a thought that made him feel very tense.

But not for long.

Nafsi rushed into the den at a fast pace. She was with another lioness from the pride.

Malaika quickly hurried over to her.

"What happened?" the lion asked with concern, noticing how fast she had arrived.

"A lioness was injured during the hunt. We have to help her," she explained urgently.

"Where is she?" Malaika asked.

"Come with me. I'll show you," Mganga said.

The three of them hurried out of the den. They eventually found the rest of the lionesses in a field. They were gathered in a circle, surrounding something.

Joining them, they soon caught sight of the lioness's injured form.

She was lying in a pool of blood, a deep wound in her stomach.

Nafsi gasped.

"What happened?" she asked, shocked.

"We were hunting down a buffalo," Mganga explained. "She was aiming for its neck, but the animal pierced her stomach with its horn."

Malaika looked particularly horrified.

Because he knew the lioness.

He wanted so badly to call her name – but he knew that would be a stupid, dangerous move. So he just sat there, staring.

"Okay. I'll need help," Nafsi said, turning to Malaika.

"Me?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, you," Nafsi said. She looked at the other lionesses. "Give her space. She needs air."

All of the lionesses immediately stepped back, allowing their stabbed pride-mate to have more air.

"Malaika, come here," Nafsi commanded. "I need you to press with your paws here." She gestured towards the lioness's wound. "When you are sure that the bleeding has stopped, I'll close the wound. Okay?"

"Okay," Malaika said absent-mindedly.

His gaze was focused on the injured lioness. It was a gaze of sorrow. He hadn't seen her since Hekima's death. Not the most pleasant of ways to meet again, he had to admit.

"Malaika," Nafsi said. "Do it."

Malaika did what he was told, and pressed down with his paws on the bleeding wound.

The lioness hissed in pain.

Meanwhile, in the trees, Mawindo has cleaned the blood from the cub, and was waiting for it to wake up.

This didn't take too long.

The cub stirred slightly. He was extremely tired and hurt.

"Hey, there, little fella," Mawindo spoke gently in a friendly tone. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," the cub answered, in pain.

"I know, I know. It'll get better in few days," Mawindo soothed.

The little lion groaned in agony, his eyes slowly flickering open.

When he saw who had spoken to him, he backed away in fear.

The cub tried to escape – but Mawindo was holding him tight.

"Calm down, little one," Mawindo said in a gentle tone. "Don't be afraid of me. I mean you no harm."

The cub surrendered within a few moments. He was far too injured and tired to resist.

"What do you want from me?" He sounded very frightened.

"I want to help you," Mawindo said, answering his question honestly.

"Why?" the cub asked, bemused.

Why would a pray want to help a predator? It sounded so silly. The zebra could use the cub's weakness as an advantage, and kill him instead. This was the perfect chance for him to avenge his species!

But no.

He wanted to help him.

"Why not? You need help – and I can provide it," Mawindo said with a smile.

"But…" The cub looked aside, uncertain.

"Don't worry. As I said: I won't hurt you," the striped one assured him.

This seemed to calm the cub down a little bit.

"Thanks," he replied sheepishly.

"No problem. What's your name?" Mawindo asked.

"Yatima," the injured cub answered.

"Nice to meet you, Yatima. I'm Mawindo." The zebra beamed at him.

"Thanks for saving me," the cub said gratefully.

"Oh, no. I didn't save you," Mawindo said.

"You didn't?" said the cub, confused.

"No. My friend and his mate did," the zebra explained, correcting his mistake. He allowed himself a sly smile. "They're lions."

"Wow! Really?" the cub asked.

"Yeah," Mawindo answered with a nod.

"But—"

"How is this possible?" Mawindo finished his question for him. "Well, I saved Malaika – that's the lion's name – from falling to his death. We became friends after that."

The zebra stared at the cub. "So, tell me… how did you end up injured like that?"

The cub immediately looked down in sadness.

Mawindo noticed this, and immediately decided to leave the subject alone. "It's okay. I understand if you don't want to talk about it."

The cub nodded.

Suddenly, Mawindo had an idea.

"Are you hungry?" he asked the cub.

The cub smiled and nodded.

"Okay, then," Mawindo said, returning the smile. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

The zebra walked off to find food, leaving the cub in a comfortable bed made of leaves and grass which Mawindo had made for him.

Nearby, Ubaya was walking around, still furious at previous events.

He needed blood. He needed it right now.

Luckily for him, there was a zebra not too far away in front.

"Perfect," he said to himself.

Ubaya sprinted at full speed towards the unfortunate animal.

The zebra spotted the lion too late, and the carnivore took the advantage.

With a powerful roar, he leaped at the animal, pinning it to the ground.

His instincts – applied with brutal sadism – resulted in a slow and agonizing death for the zebra.

The poor animal screamed its heart out, as the large lion tore away a part of its limb.

And another part…

And another part…

Blood spurted everywhere.

This made Ubaya very happy. It gave him sick pleasure.

The zebra was in agony for another twenty minutes.

It probably would've killed itself… had its limbs not been torn off.

**A/N: **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** did an awesome job here. He made the chapter better! So, a big thanks to him.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Conscience**

Mawindo heard the horrible screams of the agonizing animal, and ceased walking that second.

He was instantly curious as to what was happening – but the screams said it all.

_Somebody's in danger_, he thought.

He was right. Somebody was in danger, indeed. In very _painful_ danger…

Curiosity got the better of the zebra, so he decided to check what was going on.

Mawindo slowly and soundlessly walked down a path, surrounded by trees.

The trees actually provided good cover. If you were to hide there, not even a lion would be able to spot you – particularly if you were a zebra who was covered in stripes.

Mawindo made his way through the strange forest, following the screams. They were becoming progressively weaker and quieter.

The curious zebra felt that he was near the action…

…when he spotted a zebra's hind legs twitching violently.

Mawindo immediately knew what was happening. His instincts told him to go no move further – and to run in the opposite direction.

However, his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see the killer.

Mawindo ducked down and hid himself behind a bush.

He was in the perfect position. The zebra wasn't sure if he really wanted to witness this – but he'd seen enough already. He could do nothing but watch the whole thing.

Slowly, and very carefully, he poked his head out a little bit.

But when he saw the horrific image, he couldn't supress a gasp.

It was a crucial mistake.

Because the second he gasped, Ubaya heard him.

The malicious lion immediately stopped his "work". Lifting his bloody muzzle and mane from the corpse, he looked straight at where Mawindo was hiding.

The zebra was in a state of utter terror.

_When will this stop?_ he asked himself.

Ubaya took a step in Mawindo's direction.

The zebra tensed up. He was ready to run if necessary.

When Ubaya was only a few inches away from Mawindo, the frightened zebra could smell the fresh blood on his paws.

This was really bad.

Ubaya observed the area, not bothering to look in the bush. He stepped even closer, and it was then that Mawindo thought: _This is it. It's over._

He closed his eyes, prepared to meet the same fate as his mauled fellow.

But, to Mawindo's great relieve, Ubaya turned around and – sniffing one more time – he left.

He left Mawindo. He left the corpse. He left everything.

Mawindo stayed in the bush for a little while longer, too shocked to make a move.

Eventually – after what seemed like for ever – he did.

Shakily, he stood up and approached the corpse. Or, to be more precise, what was left of it.

When he saw the body, he let out another gasp, followed by tears.

"Wenzake…" Mawindo sobbed.

He knew this zebra. They were in the same herd before Mawindo left.

His striped friend was in pieces. A head attached to the torso with only a loose string of flesh. The legs were snapped in different places, blood everywhere…

It was a gruesome picture. One that would be preserved in Mawindo's mind for ever.

His stomach flipped at the sight. He turned his head and vomited.

But that was the fate of herbivores. They either ended up dying painlessly – if the lions were merciful – or they ended up agonizing until they could no longer breathe.

In every situation, they always died… It was the Circle of Life. You couldn't escape it, no matter how hard you tried. No one could last for very long.

But Mawindo had Malaika to protect him. And he was going to protect Malaika.

They wouldn't ever let each other down… right?

But, something – deep down – made him doubt that.

_Why?_ he wondered.

The answer? He didn't know.

But Malaika saved him. And if he wanted Mawindo dead, then he would've killed him a long ago.

No. He had to trust the lion. He had to. Malaika was his best friend…

The zebra stared at the mauled carcass before him.

_Why?_

This time the question was directed at… the life.

What did this poor animal do to deserve such an awful death? Nothing! It wasn't fair!

The carnivores always got everything they wanted. And the prey animals had to obey and provide for them? They had to allow themselves to be murdered to quench somebody's thirst for blood?

Didn't they deserve to live a happy life, too? To be free and not live in constant fear of being eaten at any given second?

The answer… was _yes_.

A total _yes_! Of course they deserved it! They were born into the world, too. They had just as much right to live as the lions, or cheetahs, or leopards… Any carnivore. All of them.

But, sadly – thanks to nature – this was not the case.

They had to hide, to run, to escape… Their life was never easy.

And Mawindo knew this perfectly. He even saved one of his enemies, who had tried to eat and kill him. He even became his friend.

_So, it isn't impossible!_ Mawindo argued in his head.

He did it. He managed to "defeat" his natural enemy and make him his friend. He was the only zebra in the world to have a lion as a friend. That gave him the advantage over nature, and he wasn't going to give it up. He would survive!

But it wasn't only Malaika. He had Nafsi and that little lion cub, Yatima, too.

Mawindo suddenly remembered. He was supposed to find food for the cub.

But what he could bring to him? And where could he get it from?

He wondered about this for a little while.

And then his eyes fell upon the brutalised body of the zebra.

Mawindo's eyes widened, as a thought popped into his head.

_No… The idea __is__ unthinkable. You can't do that!_

_But Yatima is injured and hungry. There is nothing else to bring him._ He was now arguing with himself.

_But it's wrong!_ he countered.

_So is having a lion as a friend._

That seemed to do the trick for him.

_You have to take care of this cub_, he told himself firmly. _That is more important than your conscience_. The words seemed to make sense in his head. _Besides, you are in the company of lions most of the time. You have to think like them._

Mawindo took a hesitant step towards the carcass.

He gazed at one of the legs.

_It's perfect_, he thought.

He looked at the disfigured head, and spoke in a solemn voice. "I'm sorry, Wenzake," he said, tears sliding down his face. "But I have to do it." He remembered the words of his old friend. "You once said that if you died, you wouldn't want it to be in vain. I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen."

He leant down and gently grabbed one of Wenzake's hind legs in his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut.

It was a horrific thing – but it had to be done.

Mawindo felt a strange sensation, deep in the pit of his stomach.

Was it… guilt?

No. He had no time to feel guilty. He had to take the leg to Yatima. He was waiting for him.

"I'm sorry, Wenzake. Rest in peace." His words were muffled by the dismembered leg that he held in his mouth.

He couldn't bear to look at the corpse for any longer, so he turned around and headed back towards where Yatima lay. His job was done. He'd found food.

That was the Circle of Life…

Back at Ubaya's pride, Malaika and Nafsi had taken care of the injured lioness. Now she was resting in the den, with another three lionesses to keep her safe.

Malaika and Nafsi were lying outside in the sun. They had a conversation, and it was heading in the direction of Nafsi's conversation with Ubaya.

"Why did that prick want to see you?" Malaika asked her.

Nafsi couldn't tell him the truth. He would get mad, and attack Ubaya. Their cover would be destroyed. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"He asked me about us sneaking off," she lied. She actually sounded quite convincing.

"And what did you tell him?" Malaika asked, interested. He didn't have having the slightest idea of what actually would have happened to Nafsi if the lion didn't show up…

"Well, I just said that we love to have long walks together – and that we would try to be more careful in our timing next time," Nafsi explained simply. Maybe too simply…

"All right, then." The golden lion seemed to like the answer.

"But you could've told him th—"

Just as Malaika was about to finish his thought, Ubaya showed up. He was covered in blood.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." Malaika quickly switched to Shetani. The 'character' he played when speaking to Ubaya.

"What happened? Why are you…?" Nafsi easily spotted the king's bloodied appearance.

"I was… angry – and I needed to kill something. I found a zebra by the trees and… well, you can use your imagination to figure out what happened next." Ubaya laughed sinisterly.

Malaika's heart stopped. Ubaya's words echoed in his mind.

"_I found a zebra by the trees…_"

_By the trees…_

A wave of shock and terror shot through Malaika's body.

_No…_

Ubaya noticed the look on Malaika's face, and became suspicious.

"What's wrong, Shetani? Saw a ghost again?" he asked, an evil smile on his bloody muzzle.

"Uh… no. I just remembered that I hadn't eaten this morning." Malaika had quickly devised an excuse so he had a chance to check on Mawindo.

He hoped – no, he _prayed_ – that he was okay. He had to be.

Malaika would never forgive himself something happened to Mawindo. He'd promised to protect him.

"I'll go and catch something," the shocked lion said, as he quickly stood up from his spot and headed in the direction of the trees.

"I'll come with you," Nafsi told him. She joined Malaika by his side, as shocked as him at what Ubaya had said.

And she definitely didn't want to be left alone with him again.

"Will you excuse us, Your Majesty?" she asked in a polite tone. Her voice was laced with slight concern.

She didn't know that Ubaya had picked up on this.

"Okay. Just don't be late again," the king instructed. "The hunt begins in an hour."

The two lions nodded, before running away.

_Hmm… I wonder what they're up to?_ Ubaya thought, watching them leave.

One of his signature evil smiles took spread across his muzzle.

_I might as well find out._

Sneakily, he followed after the two.

When Malaika was sure that they weren't in Ubaya's line of sight, he shot ahead like a bullet.

"Hey – wait up!" Nafsi called from behind, struggling to keep up with his pace.

The lion sprinted as fast as he could.

_"Mawindo!"_ he called, as they reached the trees.

Mawindo was telling Yatima a story of his past. "And then we—"

Suddenly, the zebra heard a voice.

_"Mawindo!"_

It was Malaika. He sounded frantic.

"That's Malaika," Mawindo told Yatima. "He's the one who saved you. Do you want me to take you to him?"

Yatima had a huge grin on his face. That said it all. The cub would be more than pleased to meet his saviour.

"Come on, then," Mawindo said, also smiling. He helped the cub to stand and walk.

Yatima liked Mawindo. He'd taken good care of him, and even gave him food.

The best of all was that Mawindo was a zebra. His alleged enemy. And yet, he was taking care of a lion.

Mawindo was a great friend. Certainly better that the friends Yatima used to have…

_"Mawindo!"_ Malaika continued to call his name.

Nafsi tried to calm him down. "Relax," she said. "Maybe he can't hear you. But I know he's okay." She tried to sound confident – but even she was concerned.

"I swear to God, if Ubaya had done something to him, I won't wait any longer! I'm going to find him, bite his head off, rip his body to a million pieces and bury them in the deepest, smelliest, ugliest—"

"Hey, hey. What is this all about?" a voice said from behind, interrupting the lion.

Malaika froze in place, his eyes wide.

He slowly turned his head around to see no one other than Mawindo himself. He was helping the weak cub, Yatima, to walk.

The cub had a huge smile on his face, but Malaika didn't notice this at all.

Mawindo noticed the look on his friend's face, and became a little confused.

"Malaika, why are you looking at me like it's the first time you've seen me in a hundred years?" the zebra asked.

Malaika didn't bother to answer; he just ran towards Mawindo and hugged him tightly.

The zebra didn't know what was happening.

"Hey… what happened?" Mawindo asked his distressed friend.

"I thought you were…" Malaika couldn't finish the sentence. The thought of Mawindo being eaten was just too much for him to bear.

Mawindo looked at Nafsi, who nuzzled him on the side of his face.

"What's wrong, guys?" he asked. He didn't understand this sudden show of affection.

"Ubaya returned to the den… covered in blood," Nafsi sighed. "He told us that he killed a zebra in the trees, and—"

"We thought it was you," Malaika finished, staring into Mawindo's eyes.

The zebra finally understood now.

His friends were extremely worried. No… that wasn't the right word… _terrified_ would be a more apt way of describing it.

Mawindo hugged his friend back. He was really grateful to have him. The zebra had never had a brother before – but Malaika had filled that gap by now.

They pulled away after some time.

"I'm so happy that you're ok," the lion said smiling.

"Me, too," said Nafsi. "But… if it wasn't you, then you did Ubaya kill?"

Mawindo's face fell.

"His name was Wenzake…" he said sadly. "I knew him."

"Wait… so you saw everything?" Malaika asked, stunned.

"I came just in time to see it," Mawindo replied with a nod. "Ubaya almost saw me – but I hid myself pretty good."

"Well, I'm glad about that," Malaika said with a sigh of relief.

He then noticed the little lion at his feet.

"Oh, hi there." He smiled warmly at the cub.

Nafsi joined him. "You are so cute!" She nuzzled Yatima's nose. He laughed happily.

"You're Malaika?" he asked, looking up at the fierce lion.

"Yeah," Malaika answered, still with the friendly smile on his face.

"Thanks for saving me," the cub said, nuzzling Malaika's paw.

Malaika bent down and nuzzled him as well.

"Did Mawindo take good care of you?" Nafsi asked Yatima, gently stroking the cub's back.

"Oh, yes. He washed me, fed me, told me stories from his past, offered to sleep with me so I wouldn't be scared! Everything!" he excitedly told them.

Malaika had an amazed expression on his face. "Well, well, Mawindo, I'm surprised," he said with a grin. "You really are the best friend of a lion."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you feed him with?" asked Nafsi, interested.

"I – I – I – I… f-found something," Mawindo stammered. "Don't worry."

"He gave me a zebra's leg," Yatima said, joining in on the conversation. "It was delicious!"

Malaika and Nafsi's eyes immediately grew wide.

They had an idea of where Mawindo might have gotten the leg from – but they could scarcely believe it.

"Is that true?" Malaika managed to ask, stunned.

"Y-yeah," Mawindo answered sheepishly.

Malaika's expression of shock was replaced by a smile.

Mawindo was willing to sacrifice his conscience – and even life – for a lion cub that he didn't know?

He was a truly magnificent friend – and a great soul.

"You have no idea how proud I am to be your friend," Malaika said genuinely.

Hearing those words made Mawindo smile, too.

"Same here, Malaika," he replied.

However, what they didn't know was that they were being watched… by their worst enemy.

_Ubaya._

The evil lion was confused. How could a lion be so close to a zebra and not kill it? He was even speaking to it!

He was listening in on their conversation. _What was that?_

Then he heard Malaika's reply… and Mawindo's…

_Malaika._

_That name sounds so familiar…_ he thought.

And then Ubaya remembered.

An evil grin spread across his fierce face.

_It's that fool's son._ He was referring to Hekima. The lion that he had brutally beaten and exiled years ago.

His son ran away.

At first, Ubaya assumed that he was dead.

Apparently, he was wrong.

Everything had suddenly become clear as crystal.

_He's come back to seek justice,_ Ubaya realised.

Carefully observing the friends, he came up with an awful plan. Something that Malaika would wish never to experience…

_What a great friendship_, the evil murderer observed with an unpleasant smile. _It would be such a shame for it to end._

And, with that, he disappeared, leaving Malaika, Mawindo, Nafsi and Yatima to enjoy their time together.

For now…

**A/N: We couldn't leave you with that cliffhanger for too long now, could we… And guess whose brilliant idea for the cliffhanger itself that was? You guessed right – **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow. **_**He came up with it – fortunately – and I just had to use it. He also did the incredible editing on this chapter, as always.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Trapped**

The unlikely group continued to talk and laugh, strengthening their bond. Completely unaware of the danger that was waiting for them…

Ubaya had discovered that the lion, who introduced himself as Shetani, wasn't Shetani at all. He was Malaika. The former king's son, who Ubaya presumed to be dead. But he survived.

How? He didn't know. But it didn't matter, anyway.

What mattered now was ruining the friendship between Malaika and Mawindo for good. He had to weaken the poor lion, so it would be a lot easier for the red-maned king to take care of Malaika the way he knew best.

With torture.

It would give him such pleasure… He couldn't wait.

Malaika and his friends were still by the trees. They'd forgotten all about Ubaya and his evil deeds. Just enjoying the time they were spending in each other's company.

"Mawindo, you are a real carnivore at heart," Malaika joked, without intending to hurt the zebra's feelings.

"Just be careful when I get hungry," the zebra retorted, which resulted in the group erupting with laughter.

"Malaika, I advise you to not mess with Mawindo," Nafsi laughed. "He might make you his lunch soon."

"Even if I could, or _had_ to do it, I never would. _Never_," Mawindo said honestly.

Malaika stared at his friend. His friend's reply made him wonder.

_Would I ever do it?_

He knew perfectly well that a lion's instincts were strong. Stronger than his will. Stronger that his heart…

Malaika just hoped that he would never have to be involved in a situation where he was forced to choose between either his survival or his friend's life…

The lion knew that he would fight his instincts with all his might – but that would be pointless.

Sooner or later, he would give in to them.

Malaika closed his eyes, almost looking pained.

He just hoped that he would never have to experience such horrific things.

"Uh… Malaika, are you ok?" Mawindo looked concerned. He could see that something was bothering his friend.

Malaika was quickly snapped out of his troubled thoughts by the sound of his friend's voice.

"Yeah. I just kinda got… distracted," the brown-maned lion lied. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. He really was distracted by unimaginable thoughts.

"You look troubled," Nafsi observed. "Are you still worrying about Ubaya?"

"No. He's not a problem for me. I could easily get rid of him. And soon enough, I _will_." His tone told Nafsi that he meant this. Every word of it.

"He thinks he's so high and mighty. I can't wait to see his reign fall," Nafsi said, a hint of eagerness in his voice.

"Neither can I." This time Mawindo spoke. He hated Ubaya, too. After seeing what the tyrant had done to one of his poor zebra friends, he was determined to see him suffer.

There was a moment of silence after that.

Yatima – the injured cub who Malaika and Nafsi had found lying injured in a bush – was snuggled between Nafsi's paws with and a big smile on his face.

To have someone to care for him again was an incredible reward for the little fellow.

He had a troubled past… A past that nobody would ever want to experience…

Malaika was curious to find out what had happened to the cub.

_It must've been something horrible_, he assumed.

The lion decided that it would not hurt to ask, as long as he did it carefully. He didn't want to hurt Yatima more…

"Yatima… can I ask you something?" Malaika asked in an approaching tone.

The cub smiled at his saviour. "Yeah," he answered, eyes sparkling.

"What… happened to you?" Malaika questioned "You know that we found you in a very bad state."

The smile was wiped off Yatima's face. His ears fell. He didn't say anything.

Malaika realised that his question was too direct, and decided to correct himself.

"We mean you no harm, little one. You can trust us," He assured the cub. Yatima still looked uncertain.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us, though it—"

"No. I'll tell you," the cub interrupted. He decided that it would help to share his pain.

Taking a deep breath, he began to tell his story.

"My father was the king of our pride," Yatima started, immediately catching Malaika's attention. "We were out, and some lion came and…" It was hard for the cub to tell them this. The others noticed.

Malaika put his paw on Yatima's back – which was still scratched and bruised – gently stroking it in order provide him with courage.

"Go on," he urged. "Don't be afraid."

The little lion hesitated for a moment, but then gave in.

"He challenged my father but gave him no warning," Yatima continued. "He just jumped on him. Dad wasn't prepared…" Tears slid down his muzzle.

Nafsi nuzzled him for comfort. It was like having a family again.

"Then he tried to kill me – but I escaped and hid in this bush. I was too injured and frightened to move," the cub admitted. "And I guess… you found me two days later." Yatima looked at Malaika with watery eyes.

To say that he was shocked was an understatement.

Malaika's eyes were wide as they could possibly be.

He was utterly stunned by the coincidence.

_God_…he thought.

This cub had experienced the same troubles as Malaika. It was unbelievable.

The cub was rapidly starting to grow on Malaika. His sympathy for the cub was at a very high level.

"Malaika?" Nafsi asked, spotting the look on his face.

He didn't bother to answer. His shocked expression morphed into a smile, as he gently hugged the cub.

Yatima allowed him to do it. He _wanted_ this, actually. It was like experiencing his father's affection all over again.

Malaika felt responsible for this cub somehow. He wanted to take care of him. Protect him.

It felt right. It was the best thing to do.

"I know how you feel," the lion said. "You have no idea…"

The two pulled away. Malaika smiled at Nafsi and Yatima.

"You're very brave," Malaika told Yatima. "Remember that. Never let anyone control your destiny."

The cub smiled at the lion. He understood.

Malaika turned to Nafsi. "Could we talk for a second?"

"You stay here with Mawindo," Nafsi told Mawindo. "We'll be right back." She gently stroked the cub on the top of his head and then walked off with her mate.

Yatima walked over to Mawindo, who was still lying in the grass.

"Do you wanna play?" the cub asked hopefully, sitting beside him.

"Oh, Yatima, aren't you tired? We've played enough today," Mawindo said, pretending to sound as though he was bored of the cub.

Yatima's ears dropped.

"Tag! You're it."

With that, the zebra quickly stood up and ran. Not too fast, though. He didn't want to exhaust the cub.

The cub was still too injured to play – but Mawindo wanted to cheer him up. If he wanted to enjoy himself, then so be it.

Mawindo's quick exit was unexpected for the brown cub – but Yatima was soon running after the zebra, laughing and having fun.

Meanwhile, Malaika and Nafsi were having a rather important talk. About their future together. Not just as mates, but also…

Parents.

"What do you think?" he asked expectantly.

"Well, I love it, but… why?" Nafsi asked, not really understanding Malaika's choice.

The lion sighed.

"Yatima reminds me a lot of myself," Malaika retorted, with emotion. "He's been through the same things as I have. He doesn't have anyone to look after him. No family. Nothing. Don't you think he _deserves_ someone to look after him?"

Malaika's face fell a little. "I would _die_ to have a family again," he confessed. "I don't have parents anymore – but Yatima could. It's what he deserves."

Malaika stared at his mate with teary eyes.

That melted Nafsi's heart.

How could Malaika be so loving and carrying?

Every other lion she knew was either a pervert or a ruffian, whose only goal in life was to eat, sleep and breed.

But Malaika was something else. He was much different from the others.

The lion had a heart bigger than anyone else. He always put himself before others.

Given his past, he should've developed an enormous hate for the world. No one would have faulted him on that.

But no…

His love for others was inordinate. He had saved his friends numerous times, and he would even die to keep them safe.

In that moment, Nafsi's love for him grew even more.

Unable to contain herself, she hugged Malaika without any intention of letting go.

She wanted to hold on to him. For the rest of her life.

"You have no idea how much I love you," she said, almost crying with joy.

She'd found her other half. The lioness had never believed that such a thing would happen before – but now she had faith in everything.

Malaika purred. This surprised him; only one other time in his life had he done this before, and that was back when his mother was still alive.

But he couldn't control it. He had to purr. He was so happy. Everything was starting to go his way. His life was finally beginning to take proper shape.

He was going to have a happy life from now on. He was sure of it.

Only one obstacle still stood in his way. But, soon enough, that would all be in the past.

At least, that was what Malaika _thought_.

The two lovers pulled away, staring into each other's eyes. The portals to their souls…

They smiled at each other in the most loving way. Malaika leaned forward to lick Nafsi on the cheek.

A kiss from a lover.

"I think we should be heading back to Mawindo and Yatima," the emerald-eyed lioness suggested.

"Yeah. I can't wait to tell them," Malaika said happily. "I'm sure Mawindo would love to be an uncle."

The lions walked closely together, eager to tell Yatima the good news.

Yatima and Mawindo, on the other hand, were enjoying their time together.

They played for what felt like hours, until they were both exhausted. Lying on their backs and panting heavily in the field.

"I haven't done this… in quite a long time," Mawindo said tiredly.

Yatima rested his head on the zebra's flank.

"For someone who hasn't played in a long time, you do it very well," Yatima complimented.

The young cub was enjoying Mawindo's company. A lot, actually, as strange as it was for a lion to be thinking this.

This zebra has the ability to make lions like him – rather than make them want to tear him to shreds.

It was unique. A gift. He didn't _know_ this, of course – but he enjoyed it, nonetheless.

"I didn't say I was finished, did I?" Mawindo said playfully, and started to scuffle with the little cub.

He had him in his grasp, tickling him harmlessly.

"Ha-ha! Stop, please!" the cub giggled, pleading with Mawindo to stop the 'torture'.

"Surrender first," the zebra teased, laughing as well.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Yatima gave up, and Mawindo stopped tickling him.

Malaika and Nafsi were there at that moment, and saw everything. It put huge smiles on their faces.

Mawindo then saw the two lions, before staring down at the ground sheepishly.

"I see that you're having a good time," Malaika said with a smile.

"Yeah. He's so cool!" Yatima exclaimed with a grin.

Mawindo smiled at the little cub.

"Yatima, we want to tell you something," Nafsi began, hopeful that he wouldn't reject their proposal.

The cub gave her his full attention. "Yes?"

Nafsi nudged Malaika, wanting him to help with explaining things. The lion let out a sigh.

"Yatima," he began. "We were wondering if you would… like us to take care of you?"

The cub just narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"But you're _already_ taking care of me," the cub replied.

Malaika and Nafsi looked at each other.

"That's not what I meant," the golden lion said, trying again. "I meant for a _longer_ time."

Being too young, Yatima still didn't understand.

"We want to adopt you, Yatima," Nafsi explained. "But only if you agree to it. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Yatima felt the claws that were holding on to his heart letting go, creating an immeasurable feeling of happiness and relief.

It meant a lot more to him than Malaika and Nafsi realised.

The cub leapt at his new parents, hugging their paws.

"Thank you so, so, _so_ much!" he cried joyously.

"I guess that's a _yes_," Malaika chuckled.

Mawindo watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. It made him just as happy as they were.

But, at the same time, he also felt lonely.

The zebra's own parents had died a long time ago. He didn't have many memories of them. He wished they were still alive. And when he saw Yatima hugging Malaika and Nafsi, it made him feel sad.

"Hey, Uncle Mawindo," Malaika called, instantly snapping him out of his depressing thoughts. "Come and join us."

Mawindo did as he was told, joining his new family.

_I'm not alone, after all_, thought the zebra.

All of the animals felt like they shared something together.

It was as if they were one happy pride. The pride that Malaika had always dreamed of having. He felt so happy. So… full again.

But there was just one more problem that prevented things from being perfect…

"Me and Nafsi have to go back to the pride now," Malaika said.

"Can we come, too?" Yatima asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"No, Yatima. It's too dangerous for you," the brown-maned lion explained.

"Please!" the little brown cub pleaded, his eyes growing wider.

"No. I said it's too—" But Malaika started to give in.

He couldn't keep them there for ever. Soon, he would take down Ubaya. And that evil lion didn't know anything about Mawindo or Yatima, anyway, so he wouldn't go searching for them.

As long as he kept them somewhere safe, they would be all right.

"Okay."

"Yay!" Yatima exclaimed, ecstatic.

"Are you sure it'll be safe?" Nafsi asked.

"Yeah. That Ubaya guy seriously concerns me," Mawindo added.

"Don't worry about him. He doesn't know a thing, anyway," Malaika said reassuringly. "You'll be safe. I'll make sure of it."

And, with that said, the group made its way down the hill, back towards the pride.

Ubaya was lying on his rock, surrounded by the lionesses.

He had an evil smile on his muzzle. He knew the truth about Malaika, and now future events would be most enjoyable indeed.

The sadistic lion had quite a tasty plan to deal with the… trouble he had.

This trouble had grown – and now it was big enough to defeat him – so Ubaya had to be extremely careful.

He didn't tell the lionesses, though. He wanted it to be a surprise. A very shocking surprise…

Malaika, Nafsi, Mawindo and Yatima arrived. They were stood a fair distance away from the den, so not to arouse suspicion.

"Okay. Mawindo and Yatima will stay here," he instructed. "When we make sure that it's safe, we'll call you. Got it?"

"Understood," Mawindo replied.

The two lions made their way over to Ubaya.

The quickly started up their act again, unaware that it would no longer work.

Ubaya noticed them, and smiled.

"We were waiting for you," he said casually.

"You were?" said Malaika, confused.

"Yes, Malaika. We did," Ubaya replied.

Malaika's blood ran cold.

_He knows…_

He looked at Nafsi. She looked at him. Both terrified.

"Excuse me? I must've misheard you. What did you call me?" Malaika asked, still keeping up the act. He was going to pretend to be Shetani until he was sure that Ubaya had discovered the truth. He hoped that he wouldn't, though. It was far too early…

"Malaika," Ubaya said simply. "That is your name, isn't it? Or was it Shetani? I'm confused." He sneered. "Those two names are just so… _similar_, aren't they?"

The pride gasped.

They knew that name. Malaika. It was the name of the previous king's son.

"You can drop your act, Malaika," Ubaya told him. "I know who you are." This time, he sounded serious.

Malaika understood now. Ubaya knew everything. He couldn't possibly continue lying now.

The lion growled at Ubaya. "Okay, then," he said. "Now that you know everything, you know that I'm here."

"Yeah. I know." The evil lion still sounded rather casual.

"So, with that out of the way, I challenge you for the throne, Ubaya!" Malaika proclaimed, jumping straight to the point. "You know you can't refuse."

All of the lionesses – including Nafsi – stared in shock at Malaika and Ubaya, waiting anxiously for something to happen.

Mawindo and Yatima were hiding behind a rock, listening to everything.

"What's happening?" the cub asked, concern evident in his tone.

"Nothing. They're just… talking," Mawindo lied. He didn't want Yatima to find out.

"I want to see."

But the zebra was too slow to prevent the cub from ruining their cover.

Yatima poked his head out of the rock.

This was a big mistake.

Ubaya saw both him and Mawindo, who was trying to get the cub hidden away again.

_Excellent_, the evil lion thought, mentally cheering himself on.

"Oh, Malaika, are you really that _vicious_?" Ubaya mocked, approaching the rock that Mawindo and Yatima were hiding behind.

Mawindo trembled in fear, listening as Ubaya's voice grew in volume. He was getting closer.

"I thought you were quite _friendly_."

He approached Mawindo from the other side of the rock, catching him by surprise.

"Isn't that right… Mawindo?"

Ubaya was staring straight into the zebra's eyes.

Mawindo couldn't look away. He felt paralysed by the Ubaya's evil gaze.

Malaika was absolutely terrified now.

_No…_

"_Don't touch them!_" Malaika screamed. "If you hurt them, I'll—"

"Relax," Ubaya said. "I won't hurt them… maybe."

The foul lion laughed, as if telling a joke.

Malaika roared in fury, causing the king to stop laughing.

"Come out." Ubaya grabbed Mawindo, pulling him away from the rock along with Yatima. The cub was so terrified that he felt frozen, holding on to Mawindo for safety.

The pride was confused, murmuring amongst each other.

"What is this zebra doing here?"

"Look. There's a cub."

"What's going on?"

Ubaya decided to explain things for his pride.

"This zebra here… is Malaika's dearest friend."

Shocked expressions quickly formed on the lionesses' faces.

This was followed by a laugh.

Malaika looked around. Everyone was laughing at him.

"Is this some kind of joke, Malaika?" one of the lionesses sniggered.

This was Kula. A lioness he knew well. She had played with him when he was a cub.

Malaika's face simply fell.

This stopped all the laughing. A long silence followed.

"Are you serious?" Someone finally broke it. "This is a zebra! We eat those things!"

That was it. Malaika wasn't going to let anyone speak like that about his friend.

"Shut up!" Malaika snarled. "You don't even know him!"

"Are you out of your mind, Malaika?" asked Kula in disbelief.

The poor lion just stared at the lionesses. They looked… disgusted.

Mawindo looked just as shocked as him. Nafsi merely stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Ha-ha-ha! Little Malaika has a friend," Ubaya mocked, as if speaking to a baby. "Do you want to play?"

Malaika let out a loud roar and leapt at Ubaya – but the evil lion dodged out of the way.

Malaika ran after him, determined to kill the king.

"Yatima, you stay with Nafsi," Mawindo said to the cub. "Don't move, okay?"

"Where are you going?" Nafsi asked, concerned.

"To help Malaika," Mawindo answered.

And he ran away, too, leaving them with the lionesses. They weren't going to hurt Nafsi and Yatima.

Malaika chased after Ubaya, livid. He hated him more than he ever had before.

However, Ubaya was enjoying this. Malaika had fallen right into his trap.

They ran through a narrow, rocky canyon. Ubaya disappeared around a corner. Malaika quickened his pace, still chasing after him, paws pounding the earth.

Malaika followed him around the corner—

—only to find that Ubaya had vanished.

Right in front of him was a cave with a giant rock above it.

Malaika assumed that Ubaya was hiding there, so he hurried inside.

Meanwhile, Mawindo wasn't far behind. He too reached the turn. He was about to take it, when someone leapt in front of him.

It was Ubaya.

The zebra was forced to turn around, trying to escape – but Ubaya was quick to corner Mawindo, making him stalk back towards the cave where Malaika was.

The interior of the cave was empty. A bemused Malaika heard the growls of Ubaya, and hurriedly turned around to see Mawindo being forced into the cave.

"Leave him alone!" he growled, ready to attack.

"I am leaving him alone," Ubaya said with an evil smile. "In fact, I'm leaving him alone with you." Ubaya smiled evilly.

The evil lion leapt away, vanishing from sight.

Malaika and Mawindo watched, confused. They tried to run out of the cave—

—only for a giant stone to fall down in front of them, blocking the entrance.

Outside the cave, Nafsi, Yatima and the other lionesses had followed Malaika's path. They stopped at the blocked entrance to the cave. Malaika and Mawindo were nowhere to be seen. All they could see was Ubaya, stood on top.

"Where are they?" Nafsi asked, growling angrily at him.

"They are behind that rock. _Together._" The red-maned laughed at his joke.

"You monster!" The green-eyed lioness roared. "Let them go. Now!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he said simply.

Malaika and Mawindo were trapped inside.

"_Ubaya! You filthy coward! Let us out!_" Malaika's roar could be heard echoing through the inside of the cave.

"I'll do that… on one condition," the lion said, speaking to Malaika inside.

_Condition…_

"You eat that zebra, and I'll let you out and fight you," Ubaya explained.

Malaika was shocked by the offer. So was Mawindo.

"No way!" he growled back in response.

"Well, then you'll die in there," Ubaya said with a shrug.

The lionesses – apart from Nafsi – all agreed.

"Yeah, Malaika. Do it," said Kula.

"We want you back," another added.

Malaika felt mixed emotions as he heard these things.

"It's one stupid zebra. You're a lion, for God's sake!" Kula added.

Malaika's heart ached to hear these things being said about his friend.

He looked at the petrified Mawindo.

They didn't know what to do.

On the other side, Nafsi shared the same expression as them. In a way, they were all connected…

Yatima was cowering in fear at Nafsi's paws.

Ubaya was enjoying everything. He delighted in causing pain.

"I will return in three days," Ubaya announced. "If the zebra is still alive by then, you will be left in this cave until you die."

Malaika wasn't going to fall for this.

"I said that I won't do it!" Malaika yelled defiantly. "He's my best friend, you bastard!"

"_Ha-ha-ha!_" Ubaya cackled evilly.

"You think you're friends?" he taunted. "I'll ask you again when you're _starving to death_!"

He chuckled loudly.

Malaika and Mawindo both looked scared to death. They exchanged worried glances.

The zebra sank shakily to the ground, breathing rapidly.

This was bad…

Very, _very_ bad.

_Oh, God_, Malaika thought, collapsing to the ground alongside his friend. _Oh, God, no…_

_No…_

_No…_

_No!_

**A/N: Shocking, huh? And I am just only starting… Again, I want to give a credit to **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** for the superb editing.**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Violation**_

_No…_

This word ripped through Malaika's mind like a spike-ball.

It took a few minutes for him to process his thoughts. But when he finally did…

_How could this happen_?

Ubaya had tricked him. _Again_. Only this time, it was much worse.

The worst it could possibly be.

He had put him into the most difficult, dangerous situation he could imagine.

It was a two-edged sword. It could cut you from each side.

The most horrible part was that Malaika knew perfectly well why that sneaky sadist was doing this. He wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to make him wish he had never returned to the pride.

And then it hit him.

Ubaya wasn't going to let him and Mawindo out.

He wanted Malaika to die because of his own actions. That would give the sadistic lion so much pleasure. He loved to see other suffer. It gave him purpose in life.

Ubaya woke up every day with the thought of making someone else's existence miserable. Oh, that was gave him so much satisfaction. Satisfaction that he had craved ever since he was a young adolescent.

Through all of this evil lion's life, he had tried to dominate. He wanted to be on top. On top of _everything_. He even murdered his own parents because he hated being controlled or told what to do. He felt no regret in doing it. Ubaya _never_ felt regret. He didn't even know what it was, let alone how it felt.

He was the boss. Everyone who questioned his authority would be punished. They would suffer the most horrible of consequences.

And that was just what Malaika and Mawindo were going to experience. The sheer thought of it made Ubaya shiver with excitement…

The lion and the zebra were shivering, too – but out of fear and anxiety.

How were they going to escape? What were they going to do?

_Nothing…_

Malaika got up to search for an exit. He walked around the cave, examining every inch of it with careful eyes.

_No…_ he thought in despair. _There has to be some other way out! There __has __to be!_

But there wasn't.

Their only exit was sealed by a giant rock that was impossible to be moved from the inside. That was the whole point. They would be kept there for ever… until Malaika finished the "task" that Ubaya had given him.

And then it hit the poor lion.

There was no way out.

He would either do what he was told – or die.

Malaika turned his head, staring at his shaking friend.

Deep down, the lion felt something… strange.

He didn't know what it was, but it came close to… pity.

No… it wasn't that.

It was _worry_.

At that moment, Malaika didn't trust himself. Heck, he didn't trust himself at _any_ moment. Being a carnivore with strong urges, he was practically doomed.

Mawindo's greatest fear had come true. He was provide his best friend's food… _himself_.

_No… __he thought desperately. __There must be a way out of this._

The truth was that the zebra couldn't stand pain. His greatest fear was of being eaten alive.

When he saw what Ubaya had done to his poor herd-mate, he became even more frightened by the prospect.

The horrible screams… the blood… It was all too much to bear.

Mawindo found himself observing Malaika. He counted each muscle on his rugged body, coming to the realization that if he tried to put up a fight, it would end _nastily_…

He wasn't sure why he was thinking such things about his friend. He blamed the situation he had been forced into.

Malaika, on the other hand, was observing Mawindo. The zebra looked petrified.

His eyes were as wide as they could possible be. His breathing was rapid. He hadn't calmed down. Not in the slightest.

That said it all. He had doubts… doubts about Malaika.

The lion let out a sigh.

"Relax," he said. "It won't help if you're tense."

The zebra took notice that he was speaking, and looked him in the eyes.

There wasn't any threat in them. There wasn't hunger. Only fear and uncertainty.

The lion made his way towards Mawindo.

"Look, I know you fear me now – and I understand that. I fear myself, too. But… trust me, okay?" His words were laced with hope.

Mawindo slowly nodded. He knew that he could trust Malaika – but there seemed to be some sort of invisible force preventing him from doing so.

He was caught in a fight with his own mind. He was fighting… an _instinct_.

The instinct to survive. The instinct to escape the predator. The instinct to run.

But there was nowhere left to run. And Mawindo didn't want to show Malaika any disrespect or hostility. Not after all the lion had done for him.

Malaika had saved his life when he was bitten by the black mamba. Sucked the poison out of his system. If Malaika wanted to do something drastic, then he would've done it there and then… right?

But now… it was different. Malaika was forced to starve. Mawindo dared not to think of the consequences.

Another thought hit him.

_But… I'll starve, too._

Unlike Malaika, Mawindo had nothing – absolutely _nothing_– to eat. There was nothing there to keep him alive. He was an herbivore, and, just like every other time in his life, he was the loser. Again.

Malaika could decide at any time to use his advantage and procure his "meal". Lions in the wild had to consume at least forty kilogrammes of meat a day. If they didn't, they could become dangerously angry, eating whatever they could find. They couldn't control the instinct to survive; it was far too aggressive. Like a possessive demon that was controlling them.

Malaika, of course, was a lion – and that only proved just how dangerous the situation was.

Ubaya had them right where he wanted them. He was in control of their fates, making him something of a god. That was what he thought, at least. It made him happy. He was a sucker for power. He didn't care about anyone but himself.

With a satisfied grin, Ubaya was lying on his signature rock, the pride surrounding him.

He was sure that he would win. After all, he'd never lost before. Why should it be any different this time?

The pride, however, was doubtful.

They were happy that Malaika was alive – and shocked at the same time. And, to make matters even more complicates, they had no idea what to do. Obey Ubaya, or turn against him?

They'd seen what Ubaya was capable of, and felt truly terrified of him. They knew that they had to do something… but they felt powerless.

And there was something else. Something that prevented them from making any kind of rebellion…

The old villain had Yatima.

Ubaya was holding the cub in his paws, stroking his back as if he were some kind of a… pet.

He had even ordered some of the lionesses to prevent Nafsi from escaping. The rest, he had sent on a hunt, as always. He couldn't care less if they were tired or not; they would do as he said, without question.

Nafsi was trying to convince the lionesses to let her go. They simply pretended that they couldn't hear her.

"Come on!" she whispered angrily. "That's your king in there! Ubaya is a tyrant. He makes you hunt for him. He exhausts you to the core. He treats you like trash. And yet you _still_ obey him?"

She yelled the last part. That was a mistake.

"That won't work, lady," Ubaya said. "They know what will happen if they break the laws of my kingdom."

He stared into the lioness's eyes.

"You don't want anything bad to happen to him… do you?" the brown lion asked with a sadistic smile.

Nafsi noticed that Yatima was cowering in fear. The predator had his claws unsheathed, occasionally scratching the cub's back with them.

Nafsi quickly regretted what she had said.

"Please," she begged, terrified for her new son. "Don't hurt him. I'm sorry."

The menacing lion's grin widened.

"Good. I like my lionesses to be obedient," he sneered.

Nafsi couldn't believe she was hearing this.

"I am _not_ your lioness, you dirty old creep!" she spat.

Ubaya said nothing.

Instead, he dug his claws into Yatima's back. He mewled in pain. Blood trickled down his back.

Nafsi stared in wide-eyed horror.

"What was it you said?" Ubaya asked with a tyrannous smile.

She lowered her head in defeat. "Nothing… _sir_."

She was powerless to resist. The monster was in charge.

The red-maned beast continued to stroke the bloody cub, having no intention of being merciful with him.

He awaited the moment when Malaika would give in to his instincts, and devour Mawindo.

And when that happened, he would be there to watch.

Back at the cave, Malaika and Mawindo friends still felt strained and tense – but they needed to calm down. For their own sake.

Malaika decided that a little talk would be a good start. It was about time they figured a way out of this situation.

"Look, we have to think of a way to get out of this," Malaika told him, lying on the ground. "Do you trust me?"

Mawindo was pressed up against the back wall. "Y-yeah?" The zebra sounded very uncertain.

Malaika wasn't buying it.

"You're afraid of me… aren't you?" Malaika asked, feeling sympathy for him.

But, on the other hand, he felt like he was losing his friend. It was obvious how scared Mawindo was of him. He was shaking terribly, stood as far away from him as possible. That was obvious proof.

The lion sighed.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?" He tried again – but Mawindo stood still in his previous position.

"Okay…" That was his only response.

Malaika eyed the zebra all over, and decided to do something.

He stood up, walking over to the other end of the cave where Mawindo was lying.

The lion stood towered over the zebra, looking down on him. This frightened Mawindo.

He was shaking like a leaf. Not just because of the massive predator, but because of the cold. The temperature in the cave was very low… The atmosphere made things seem even colder.

The next thing that Malaika did was very unexpected.

He lay down beside Mawindo, snuggling up to him.

This action both startled and perplexed Mawindo. However, it had a relaxing effect on him. His heartbeat normalised, and his breathing became less ragged. Malaika's warm body made the coldness melt away, too.

"Do you trust me _now_?" the lion asked.

The combination of overwhelming peace and the pleasure of close contact were too much to bear for Mawindo. He buried his head in his friend's warm mane, sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered regretfully.

Malaika just nuzzled him back.

"Apology accepted," he replied, wrapping his tail around the zebra like a blanket, keeping him close and secure.

After a while, Mawindo fell asleep. He wasn't scared anymore. He wasn't concerned that Malaika would try to eat him. What made him think that?

Well, first of all, Malaika had approached him with no such intention, simply providing close contact. That immediately washed away his fears.

And second…

Their unlikely friendship had evolved into something more over the course of the past few hours. It was something unachievable. Unthinkable. Impossible.

_Brotherhood._

_Am I insane?_Malaika thought as he watched the sleeping Mawindo.

His head was still buried in Malaika's mane. His warm breath created a tingling sensation in his neck. He liked it.

He thought… no, he _felt_that Mawindo was his little brother. The brother that he never had – but finally found.

He had a mate, a cub and a brother. He had all he needed. Right now, though, it felt as though everything had been taken from him.

Malaika just felt so… _vulnerable. __Quite ironic, considering that he was the predator._

But still…

Malaika felt that if he was as close as possible to Mawindo, then he wouldn't be able to hurt him. Even if he wanted to.

It hurt so much. So, he decided to let go of his instincts. For the sake of his soul sibling.

Malaika knew that it would be difficult – but who cared? _He _certainly didn't.

And, in that moment, he felt his stomach gurgling.

That was when he realized that he was hungry.

_Great… __Malaika looked nervous. __It's starting sooner than I thought._

When Ubaya had trapped him, he hadn't eaten anything for the whole day. That complicated things quite a bit, but the lion was sure that he could handle things.

_I'm stronger than this,_ he thought encouragingly. _I'm stronger…_

He wasn't going to let his instincts consume him. He couldn't…

Mawindo's quiet breathing relaxed him a little bit. He soon felt quite sleepy himself. He gently placed his head on his paws, careful not to wake Mawindo up.

At the pride, it was the middle of the night.

While all the other lionesses were asleep, Nafsi was wide awake.

It was the perfect opportunity to escape.

Slowly, and very carefully, she rose from her spot, soundlessly making her way out of the den.

She spotted Yatima in Ubaya's paws, bloodied with tear strains running down his cheeks. He was asleep, though.

Tears of her own slid down Nafsi's face as she stared at her adopted son.

Nafsi silently headed for the den entrance.

Unfortunately for her, she ended up stepping on one of the lionesses' tails.

The lioness's eyes snapped open, and Nafsi thought that she was caught for sure.

She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for the lioness to squeal that she was trying to escape…

… but nothing happened.

Instead, the lioness made room for her, so she could easily pass through without awakening the rest of the pride.

At first, Nafsi didn't understand why the lioness was doing this. But then she spotted a deep wound on her stomach. It was still healing.

This was the lioness that Nafsi and Malaika had saved before, when she became injured during a hunt.

Nafsi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she whispered with a smile.

"Be careful," the lioness instructed.

With a silent nod, Nafsi continued forwards.

She stared at Yatima. Nafsi knew that she had to do this. She had to free everyone from this awful creature as soon as possible. Otherwise they would all be doomed…

When she was sure that nobody could hear her, she broke into a run, heading in the direction of the cave where her lover and friend were trapped.

She was determined to free them. If they were just left in there, then the consequences would be lethal…

_Malaika was stood in the wide open savannah, all alone. _

_He was very confused, with no idea how he had come to be there. And, more importantly, how he had managed to get out of the cave._

_And where was Mawindo?_

_He looked around, discovering that he was the only one there. _

_Or was he?_

_From out of nowhere, he could suddenly see a zebra stood in front of him – but it wasn't Mawindo. At least, he thought it wasn't. He couldn't really see properly…_

_A strange sensation overwhelmed Malaika's body._

_He felt… hunger. __Immense__ hunger. It was so powerful that he couldn't even control himself._

_He let out a growl._

Mawindo felt Malaika growling, waking up from his slumber.

"Malaika?" the zebra called, concerned. He could see that the lion was in a deep sleep, dreaming.

_The brown-maned beast couldn't control himself any longer. _

_He broke into sprint a sprint, attacking the zebra within seconds. _

_He couldn't stop. And he didn't want to._

Malaika continued growling in his sleep.

Mawindo tried to wake him up. This was freaking him out.

"Hey." He patted him gently.

_Malaika was ready to kill the zebra, only to realise that it__was__ Mawindo._

_He ceased his actions immediately. However, to the lion's terror, he felt the hunger grow… _

_And grow…_

_And __grow__…_

_It was so intense that he couldn't resist._

_He just wanted to_bite_… to __tear__… to __claw__…_

_Mawindo stared up at him pleadingly._

"_No. Please," the zebra pleaded desperately._

_Malaika was practically crying now._

_He didn't want to do it – but he was about to._

_It was strange… He felt so hungry that he just didn't care. _

_But, deep down, he fought the instincts._

_Sadly, it was to no avail. Within a minute, Malaika was biting down on Mawindo's neck as hard as he could in order to snap it._

"M-Malaika?"

Mawindo was trying to wake his friend up, wanting to get him out of the nightmare. But then—

—Malaika snapped at him, roaring.

The lion's jaws clamped around Mawindo's neck so quickly that he almost fainted.

"Malaika…" Mawindo struggled to breathe as the lion tightened his grip. Malaika was comatose, still stuck in the dream.

Blood began to dribble out. His fangs dug deeper, making it almost impossible for the zebra to suck air into his lungs.

"_Mal—_" he choked. "_Mal… aika!_ _No!_"

The striped victim kicked the lion's head, waking him up instantly.

Malaika stumbled backwards in confusion, releasing Mawindo from his grip. He blinked a few times, startled at first.

And then he saw Mawindo stumble to the ground, bloodied and bruised around the neck.

The lion stared at him, stuck in a state of shock.

Instantly, he was filled with regret. He shouldn't have fallen asleep… He'd almost killed his friend!

_Oh, no… _Malaika looked horrified. _What have I done?_

If Mawindo had felt safe in Malaika's embrace before, then he certainly didn't now.

"God… Bro… I am so s-sorry…"

He noticed the tooth marks on his friend's neck.

"Are you okay?" the lion asked, frightened for his soul sibling's life. He made an uncertain step towards him.

Mawindo backed away, absolutely terrified.

He didn't want to be close to Malaika at that moment.

"Please…" Malaika looked desperate. "Don't do thi—"

He was cut off by a voice from outside.

_"Malaika… Mawindo, are you there?"_it asked.

Malaika recognized who it was.

It was Nafsi. She had come to help them.

He glanced at Mawindo, before approaching the exit.

"Nafsi? Is that you?" he asked, just to make sure that this wasn't some sort of trick that Ubaya was playing on them.

"Yeah," she whispered, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't get caught. "Is Mawindo in there?"

Malaika glanced over his shoulder, staring at his friend. He felt like slashing his own throat for what he'd done…

"Yeah," he answered. "Mawindo's here."

"I'm so happy to hear your voice," Nafsi said genuinely.

"So am I," Malaika replied, meaning every word of it.

"I'm going to try and get you out of here," Nafsi told him. "I'll see if I can move this rock. You'd better stand back."

Malaika listened, backing away a little.

He listened as the lioness pushed against the rock, straining all of her muscles in an attempt to shift it.

Nothing happened.

She tried again – harder, this time – but she failed once again.

"I'm going to get you out of here," Nafsi promised. "I _will_."

"You'd better go back," Malaika advised, deeply concerned. "That prick might've followed you."

"Don't worry. I was careful. He didn't see me—"

Nafsi was interrupted by a sudden crashing sound. She cried out in surprise.

Malaika heard this.

"Nafsi? Are you okay?" he called.

Malaika could hear her struggling. It confused him. It wasn't like she was fighting with the rock.

She was struggling to free herself.

"Get off of me!" she growled.

Malaika became nervous. Mawindo, too.

"Well, well, well… You tricked me. I must admit to being surprised."

It was Ubaya.

Malaika became enraged at the first sound of his gruff voice.

"_You!_" he roared. "Get away from her, or I swear I'll—"

"You'll what?" Ubaya challenged. "You can't do anything. I, on the other hand…"

Outside, Ubaya was gently stroking Nafsi's back.

She gasped in realization.

He was trying to rape her.

She fought back.

"_No!_" she screamed.

"Look. The moon is shining," Ubaya teased. "It's so… _romantic_, don't you think?"

Nafsi wasn't going to let him do this. No way.

Malaika couldn't see what was happening, but it didn't take him long to put two and two together.

"No…" he breathed. "_No!_ You sick bastard! Leave her alone, or I swear I'll chew your heart out!" Malaika threatened.

"Blah-blah-blah. You are in no position to threaten me, _Malaika_. Such a stupid name!" Ubaya spat, insulting the young lion.

He didn't care about that, though. He was frightened for Nafsi.

He realized that threats wouldn't do any good, so he decided on another option.

Begging.

"Please… Please, don't do it," Malaika pleaded. "I'm begging you. I'll do anything!"

It made Mawindo's heart ache.

He witnessed the whole situation – but he didn't say a word. He could only stare straight ahead, shocked.

Ubaya – being the sadist that he was – didn't care.

"_Ha-ha-ha!_" he laughed menacingly. "Do you honestly think that _pleading _will work?"

Nafsi was still trying to free herself, without any luck. Ubaya's weight was keeping her down.

"Now, to business…" He made a thrusting motion with his pelvis. "How does _this _feel?"

Nafsi let out a disgusted cry.

"_Nafsi!_" Malaika yelled, tears in his eyes.

"Ah…" Ubaya growled in pleasure. "That's more like it. I always knew that you would feel good…"

The old lion started moving his pelvis up and down, biting Nafsi's neck in the process.

He was mating with her…

_Raping_ her.

"_No! Oh, God! No! Don't! Please! Argh…_" The lioness was trying with all her might to escape the lion's grasp.

She was shaking, quivering, crying… This only made it more pleasurable for Ubaya.

"_Get off me!_" Nafsi squealed, clawing at his back. "_Get off me!_"

"Ah, yes! Fight! It feels so good!" he hissed, moaning.

Malaika was livid, pressing his claws up against the rock that prevented him from escaping.

"_You twisted freak!_" Malaika screamed. "_I'll kill you! I'll kill you!_ _I'll kill you!_" He was smacking his paws against the rock, erupting with fury.

Ubaya didn't care for any of his threats. He felt too good to care.

"Oh… yes… yes… yes…" he breathed, panting.

"_Malaika!_" Nafsi cried, her lungs burning from how loud she was yelling. "_Malaika, help me!_"

Malaika was crying. Sobbing as he pressed his face into the rock.

He couldn't do anything. He was totally powerless.

The lion heard could hear that Ubaya's breaths were increasing in volume, and that could only mean one thing.

"Yes… yes… _yes!_"

Nafsi knew what was about to happen.

"_No…_" Her voice was quiet now. There was no point in shouting. She had been well and truly violated.

"_Ah!_" Ubaya roared in intense pleasure.

"_Ah!_" Nafsi roared in terror.

"_No!_" Malaika roared in agony.

The three sounded in choir. Neither one was louder than the other.

Mawindo, still sitting at the back, winced as a wave of dread coursed through his body.

Malaika slid to the ground, eyes closed, defeated.

"Ah… that was great…"

Ubaya finally let go of Nafsi, who didn't move. She just lay there, trembling. Taking it all in.

"That will teach you not to play with me," the old lion whispered in her ear.

Ubaya turned to look at the entrance of the cave.

"You have two more days."

Malaika's eyes snapped open upon hearing this. His pupils were small dots.

"_You_ have two more days!" he cried venomously. "Until I eat _you_! _I will tear the flesh from your bones!_"

"_Ha-ha-ha!_" Ubaya just viewed it as a joke. "Whatever you say."

Malaika scraped his claws against the rock, growling and snarling in anger. He couldn't control himself.

Mawindo didn't know what to do. He remained in his spot, still as a statue.

Malaika heard a faint crying from outside.

"Nafsi…" He called her name gently, only to hear the sound of her footsteps.

She had run away.

The golden lion let out a few shaky breaths, unable to remain in control. He felt sick.

Mawindo heard him.

The zebra was in a dilemma. He desperately wanted to comfort his friend – but he was scared of him, too.

It was either his brain, or his heart…

Looking one more time at Malaika, he decided to listen to his heart.

Slowly, he stood up, approaching the lion.

"Malaika?"

He touched the lion's shoulder—

—only for Malaika to snap his jaws at him.

With a deafening roar, he slashed Mawindo across the face, leaving three deep claw marks running down his cheeks. They bled profusely.

Suddenly, Malaika's eyes softened, returning to their usual size. He realised what he'd done.

And he couldn't take it any longer.

The lion sank to the ground, crying loudly.

Mawindo – a stinging sensation in his cheek where Malaika had struck him – didn't care if he was going to snap again at him or not.

He hugged Malaika tightly.

The lion allowed this. He secretly wanted it.

"_Why?_" he sobbed, crying his heart out. "_Why?_"

"Shh… It's okay… It's okay," Malaika soothed. "I'm here. I won't leave you."

They lay there for what felt like hours. Eventually, Malaika let go, staring into his friend's eyes. He smiled at him.

"Thank you."

Then he noticed the wounds on Mawindo's face and neck.

He was filled with grief.

He had hurt his best friend… His brother.

He wanted to apologize… but it felt like words wouldn't be enough.

He leaned towards Mawindo's face. This made the zebra tense again.

"Um…" he breathed, nervous.

Then Mawindo felt a warm tongue washing his face.

Malaika was cleaning his wounds again. Just like he did when they first met.

"I'm sorry…" Malaika was crying again.

"Apology accepted."

Malaika continued to clean the wound on his friend's neck. Mawindo closed his eyes, allowing the sensation to calm him down.

And, for a brief moment, they were closer than they had ever been before.

**A/N: Whew… This chapter was long, wasn't it? And quite shocking… I must say a big **_**thank you **_**to **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** for the professional help on the editing!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Friendship**

Nafsi's whole existence had been destroyed. Throughout all of her life, she had been sentenced to pain and tragedy. It all started with her family. They burned to death in an outrageous fire. It was so simple, yet so deadly – and it had changed her life for the worse.

Nobody knew this, of course. She had hid the fact well. She hadn't told anybody. Not even Malaika.

Regardless of this torment, Nafsi always came out as the victor. She was strong enough to resist any danger, keeping her head held high…

However, in her current situation, her head was hanging low.

She was shattered… desperate… raped.

Literally. She had been raped. Her body had been raped, her soul had been raped… Everything.

She had tried. She had fought. But she had lost…

And now, she was alone in the dark night. Nafsi liked it that way, though. She didn't want anyone around, quite frankly.

She felt filthy…

She felt like she deserved to be alone. She even thought Malaika hated her.

She loved him. He was her only friend. Her soul mate… But did he love her now? Could he love her after what had happened?

These thoughts made her even more miserable.

She wouldn't bear to even look at Malaika anymore. Being her mate, only he had the right to touch her in such a way – but she couldn't stop Ubaya. She was far too weak. He had taken advantage of her weakness and exploited it in the most disgusting way.

For all she knew, she could be pregnant now.

Her eyes winded.

_No. No… This can't be happening! __she thought despairingly. __It can't be…_

And then – amidst her suffering and self-sorrow – she was reminded of something.

_Yatima…_

He was still there. In mortal danger. Trapped with Ubaya.

Nafsi gasped.

That lion could kill him at any moment.

She couldn't allow that to happen. The cub was precious to her. He was her son. She loved him.

That was why she knew she had to save him from Ubaya's claws. He'd hurt him enough already.

But how would she do it? If she returned there, she would be killed on sight.

_Only if they're not asleep, __she mused._

It was late at night, so the pride would surely be asleep… wouldn't they?

Nafsi couldn't be completely sure. For all she knew, Ubaya could be right there, waiting for her…

But the lioness was not stupid.

She knew pretty well what the consequences of her actions might be – but she couldn't just sit there and cry all night. Mourning could wait for later.

Yatima was nestled in Ubaya's deadly clutches and Nafsi knew quite well that if she didn't do something fast, then the cub might not last through the night.

Ubaya had no use of him without her in the first place. What was stopping him from slaughtering the cub mercilessly? He was a monster; he didn't care about such things. He loved to cause pain and distress.

And the worst part was that he wasn't the type of murderer who would just kill you. He would make sure that you suffered. Both physically and emotionally.

Until you prayed for death.

This angered Nafsi to the core. Sadness was no longer a problem. Now it was absolute rage that consumed her. She had witnessed suffering through her emerald eyes before. She had even dealt with a lot of impudently intrusive and annoying lions, too.

But she had never met anyone as despicable as Ubaya.

She absolutely despised him. She wanted to chew his heart out. If he had one, that is.

Nafsi had made her mind up.

No. She was not going to leave Yatima – her precious little cub – in this monstrous creature's presence. She would save Yatima, and help Malaika, too – even if he did hate her.

The she would run away and die somewhere. She didn't care about life after that. Ubaya had taken the worst possible thing from her.

He had taken away her independence.

But at least she could do something useful before it was too late.

Feeling assured, Nafsi stood up, a determined look in her eyes.

And then she ran.

The lioness arrived at the den shortly after, observing them carefully.

Nafsi was right. They were sleeping.

Thanks to being an excellent hunter, she had mastered the skill of walking silently; no one would be able to hear her.

She slowly entered the den, discovering that Ubaya was nowhere to be seen.

Nafsi wasn't sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or have a heart attack.

But she didn't have time to think about such silly things. She had to find Yatima.

The lioness didn't have to search a lot. The cub had been stuffed into the corner of the den, smothered with blood.

He looked dead.

Nafsi had to suppress the urge to gasp, for Yatima's sake.

She tiptoed over to the cub, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"Yatima?" she called.

But there was no answer.

The lioness made sure to check whether he was breathing or not. She couldn't even feel a pulse.

The cub had been atrociously abused. He was dead for sure.

Nafsi felt warm tears sliding down her cheeks. What was she going to do now?

Her life had been torn to pieces in one night. Just one night…

She became momentarily distracted by the sight, unable to keep herself from letting out a sob.

"Hey…" said a voice.

Nafsi whipped round immediately, fully alert.

The lioness who Nafsi had helped earlier – after being impaled by a buffalo horn – was standing there.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to expose you."

Nafsi regarded the bloodied Yatima. "Is he…?"

"I don't know," the lioness said honestly. "Ubaya has abused him relentlessly. We couldn't do anything."

"But… why?" she cried. "He's the most innocent cub in the world. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"I know… but that monster doesn't care," the lioness retorted. "We have thought of ways to try and get rid of him – but there aren't any. He would always find a way to stop us… and then kill us."

"But you outnumber him!" Nafsi exclaimed.

She realized what she'd done, quickly lowering her voice so the pride wouldn't wake up.

"You outnumber him," she said, more quietly this time. "How is he going to kill you if you all team up against him?"

"Do you know who Ubaya is?" the lioness asked, widening her eyes.

Nafsi was confused, so she said nothing.

"He killed his own mother because she refused to mate with him."

Nafsi's stomach turned. She felt sick.

"He… he _what_?" she asked, quivering.

"You heard me," said the lioness. "Ever since, he's been wandering the savannah. Until, one day, he found our pride. Then he decided to take over the kingdom. He killed Hekima – our king, and Malaika's father – and became our new king. The laws prevent us from rebelling." She sighed. "We're stuck."

If Nafsi hated Ubaya before, now she despised him. He _deserved _to die.

But now wasn't the time for such vengeful thoughts. She had completely forgotten about Yatima.

"Listen, there's no time," Nafsi said urgently. "Will you help me get him out?" She gestured to Yatima's lifeless body.

The lioness nodded.

Slowly and soundlessly, they took the cub outside and headed away from the den, getting as far away as possible so no one would find them.

Once they were at a safe distance, Nafsi lowered Yatima gently to the ground.

"I've never asked your name," Nafsi said to the lioness.

"Maafa," the lioness replied.

"Thank you, Maafa," Nafsi said, before turning her attention to the cub. "He's not breathing."

"Yeah…" whispered Maafa.

She knew the cub was dead. She had seen everything. But she didn't know how to tell Nafsi.

"No… He's alive."

Nafsi quickly lowered her head to the cub's stomach, listening out for a heartbeat – even if it was only faint.

But she didn't hear anything. Yatima's chest failed to rise.

Maafa was watching, her heart aching – because she knew what was going to happen next.

"Yatima." Nafsi nudged him. "Come on, sweetheart. Don't do this."

Maafa put a paw on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said gravely.

Nafsi turned around, staring at the lioness in bewilderment.

"What do you mean?" she said, as if Maafa had told her something absurd.

Maafa knew what was happening. Nafsi was attached to the cub; she wasn't going to accept that he was gone so easily.

"He's dead…" Maafa explained in a shaky voice. "I saw it. Ubaya hit him too hard. He… he broke his ribcage. I'm so sorry…"

But Nafsi wasn't going to accept this. Not tonight. "No. You're wrong."

"Come on, Nafsi," Maafa said. "Let him rest in peace. He's suffered far too much…"

"It won't happen!" Nafsi growled. "He's alive!"

Nafsi leaned over Yatima, massaging his chest. "Come on, Yatima," she said. "Wake up, sweetheart."

"Nafsi, please—"

"No!" Nafsi roared. "No! He's alive!" She continued to massage him.

Maafa sobbed, shedding tears. The image was heartbreaking.

"Come on, Yatima! You can't leave me!" Nafsi said angrily, increasing the pressure on his chest.

Nothing happened.

"No!" The pained lioness let out a roar of anguish. "Come on!"

She kept trying for what seemed like for ever.

Nafsi was just about ready to give up, when, suddenly, she heard a cracking sound coming from Yatima's chest.

The cub's eyes snapped open so suddenly that Maafa screamed.

Yatima sucked in a big gulp of air, crying out in pain.

Nafsi was shocked. Shocked and elated.

Her cub was alive.

She suppressed the urge to grab him and hug him tightly; such an action could be lethal.

"He's… he's alive!" she exclaimed, as a big wave of happiness washed over her.

Maafa could scarcely believe her eyes. She had seen the cub dead. He _should_ be dead. Ubaya had almost killed him.

_Almost._

The cub coughed, moaning in pain.

"What… wha—" Yatima tried to speak, but he was having trouble forming words.

"Don't speak, Yatima," Nafsi said, nuzzling him gently. "You're still injured."

She was happy that her cub was alive – but, at the same time, she knew that he could die if she didn't take care of him.

She would, though. She loved him.

And that was what Yatima deserved. Love and happiness.

Nafsi felt so sorry for him. Yatima had suffered a lot. And he was _still _suffering. Even now.

It wasn't fair.

The cub looked up at them with weary eyes.

Maafa still couldn't understand how such a thing was possible.

"We have to take him somewhere safe," she told Nafsi. "He needs proper care. If Ubaya finds him, he'll…" She didn't finish, instead changing the subject. "You need to get away, too."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Nafsi asked hopefully.

Maafa smiled.

"Yes."

After a few hours, Ubaya had returned from his night walk. He often did that when he couldn't sleep.

Needless to say, he was angry when he discovered that the cub was missing.

"_Where is he?_" he roared, furious.

At that exact time, Maafa returned.

She had shown Nafsi to a place where she could hide and take care of the cub, until… well, until they could think of something.

She only hoped that Malaika could escape from the cave. She would have helped him, but she didn't want to risk her life in a ridiculous attempt that would only end in tears.

"What is it, Your Majesty?" she asked, sounding polite and obedient. It was a convincing act which she had played for years.

"Where is the cub?" Ubaya demanded.

"He… he died, Your Majesty," Maafa lied. "We buried his body."

"Aw!" the king retorted, unhappy that his 'toy' had been broken. "I was enjoying that…"

He walked over to his sleeping spot, lying there lazily.

"I hope that lion Malaika gives in soon," he mumbled. "I hate to wait, and I hate to be bored…"

The awful lion fell asleep shortly after that.

Claws.

Unsheathing and retracting continuously…

The prey's blood brings an odour of overwhelming temptation.

When you're a predator, you find it hard to resist. You find it hard to say no.

But why would you _want_ to say _no_? You'd be a fool to do a such thing. There's nothing better than a juicy, bloody, soft—

_Wait… What am I thinking?_

_Steak! Just one bite. One swift bite!_

_No!_

_One little bit won't hurt…_

_Yes, it will! _

_It won't._

_Yes. It. Will._

Malaika was lying in the corner of the cave, looking miserable and… deadly.

His instincts had finally kicked in. They had taken control of his mind.

And soon, they would have control of his body, too.

It was inevitable.

But he wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Mawindo, of course, was pressed up against the wall on the other end. He wasn't in a much better state.

Despite being a herbivore, he too was hungry. In fact, he was starving.

But unlike Malaika, he had absolutely no food source which he could rely on for survival. He was the one who was surely in for the lethal end… one way or another.

The atmosphere was tense. The two friends felt like there was an invisible barrier between them.

They were slowly starting to feel things that they couldn't explain.

Close contact was out of the question. Subconsciously, they had moved to opposite ends of the cave.

Mawindo saw the looks that Malaika was giving him, and he had to admit that he felt threatened.

But he didn't know that this was not Malaika. It was a lion. A lion using Malaika's body.

Right now, Malaika and this lion were fighting over the ownership of the body. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

He was trying very hard to think logically – but it was incredibly difficulty.

Two days had passed, and Ubaya still hadn't shown up.

Malaika assumed that he had left them there to increase their suffering.

He would only show up when they were both dead

They had been left there to die. And not just to die, but to suffer.

_Suffer…_

A growl was heard.

Mawindo quickly glanced at his friend, and found him in a strange state. He looked as though he was ready for a fight… or perhaps he'd had a fight already.

The zebra wanted to call out to him, but he was afraid to do so.

Why? He didn't know. He just felt that way.

The lion in the corner had the same question in his head.

_Why? Why can't I do it? Why can't I just… kill myself instead…?_

He considered this, but something wouldn't let him. Was he because he was a coward? Probably…

After all that happened to him, he should have been able to find the strength to slash his throat open. One quick slash and his miserable life would be over.

_One quick slash…_

Shakily, Malaika brought his paw to his throat, ready to end it all. He would save his friend's life by ending his own.

That was it. That's was what he had to do.

Or was it?

One moment passed.

Then another.

And another…

But Malaika couldn't do it. He couldn't.

Mawindo wasn't watching as this was happening. He hardly had any idea that _anything _was happening, actually.

Still, he finally decided to talk to Malaika. After all, it couldn't do any harm, could it?

"You know… I'll be dead soon," Mawindo said. "So you don't have to worry."

Malaika snapped out of his trance.

_What did he just say?_

"I know how hard is this for you, so you don't have to worry," the zebra replied. "I'm feeling weak. Very weak." His voice sounded fragile.

Malaika just looked shocked.

"I've never told you this before, but I almost died as a kid," Mawindo told him, beginning a sad story.

Malaika was willing to listen, of course.

"The minute after I was born, I stopped breathing," Mawindo swallowed a lump in his throat.

"My parents were frightened to the core," he continued. "They tried to bring me back to life, and, thankfully, they did. I took my first breath, but I never opened my eyes. Never moved."

The zebra closed his eyes as pain – both mental and physical – overwhelmed him.

His stomach was burning…

"My mother and father took care of me, but I wasn't getting better. Until one day…"

Mawindo stared into his best friend's eyes.

"My father was killed by a lion."

And then he looked at Malaika in a way the lion wished he hadn't seen.

The look was a mixture of pain, fear, anger and uncertainty. It was sealed by an expression which said, _"I know how life works, and I know my place in it."_

It made Malaika hate his own species… He hated himself.

"After that, my mother had to take care of me. It was hard for her. I looked like I wasn't functional, but I could hear just right," Mawindo carried on. "And, one night, something happened. I had these convulsions; they were terrible. And then – just like magic – I opened my eyes and, all of a sudden, I was all right. After a whole painful and miserable year, I was all right!"

It looked as though he was glad that he had survived the illness – but that wasn't exactly the case.

"Ever since then, I lose energy very quickly," the zebra explained. "If I don't eat at least three times a day, I lose all of my strength. I feel tired, lethargic, and if I don't eat soon, I'll… die."

Mawindo was telling the truth. He really had this condition, and now it seemed the most fitting of times to tell his best friend… and worst enemy.

"So… you don't have to wait too long. I'll be dead in the next two days," Mawindo said. "But, then again, who cares? You might as well eat me now. It won't make much of a difference."

Mawindo put his head down, trying to get some sleep. It would save his energy. For another two days, at least…

Then Malaika could feast on him. But was he really going to do that?

On one hand, Mawindo doubted it greatly – but on the other, he knew he was going to do it.

It was the lion's only chance of survival.

Malaika could only stare…

He had killed many zebras in his life, but he couldn't kill that one. How could you kill someone who had saved your life? Especially if you were trying to kill them in the first place…

It was unheard of. Impossible. But still…

_He looks so… tasty._

Malaika gasped at his own thought.

_How can you think like that?_

But it wasn't him. It was nature speaking. Not his soul.

He felt an invisible force drawing him towards Mawindo, in an attempt to end his misery…

_Gah!_

In desperation, the lion bit down on his own paw. Blood gushed quickly from the stinging wound. Malaika thought that pain would distract him from his thoughts.

But he knew it wouldn't work for too long.

Two more days passed, but Ubaya still hadn't shown up. He was just teasing them. The nasty lion didn't care about the challenge. He had tricked Malaika. He'd lied.

All he wanted was to get rid of them. And he had come up with the most brilliant way of doing it. He'd trapped the two friends in the cave, knowing that it would cause the most possible pain and trauma for them.

Malaika would give in and kill his friend, before dying himself.

And they couldn't do anything about it.

Mawindo's state was critical. He hadn't moved from his spot.

Malaika became seriously worried for him.

The lion stood up, padding towards his friend.

"Hey. How are you?" he asked in a calming voice. He was concerned. Very concerned.

"I won't lie," he whispered in a frail voice. "I'm dying…"

Malaika was horrified. He didn't expect this.

"Dying? But… but—"

The golden lion – who was now brown because of the dirt in the cave – was cut off by Mawindo's weak voice.

"But what?" said the zebra. "It's not like… it's unexpected. Everyone dies at some point…"

He sounded casual about the fact. As if he _wanted _to die.

Malaika, of course, didn't want this to happen. Mawindo was his best friend. His soul sibling.

He couldn't let him die… but it wasn't something that he had the power to control.

Suddenly, he felt the instinct again.

_Not now!_

"I just want you to do me one last favour…" Mawindo whispered.

Malaika was suddenly alert.

_Favour?_

"Of course. Just say. I'll do anything!" the lion said.

Mawindo slowly lifted his head, staring into his friend's eyes.

His expression said it all.

The zebra then uttered two words. Two words which would haunt Malaika for the rest of his life.

"Kill me."

Malaika's eyes widened.

No. This wasn't right. He was hearing things. It was his mind playing tricks on him again. Surely his best friend wouldn't ask him to do this?

"Could you repeat that again?" Malaika asked, letting out a nervous chuckle. "My mind is messing with me."

Mawindo stared at him in the same way. He didn't say a word. Partly because of the exhaustion and pain.

Realization slowly hit the lion.

"Are you serious?" he exclaimed.

"Dead serious. Quite literally," the zebra admitted. "I can't take the pain any more…" He started shaking. "If you're my best friend, then you'll grant me my death wish."

He knew that he was asking Malaika to do the unthinkable. He felt terribly guilt about it, but… it had to be done.

If not now, later. Malaika was going to give in to his instincts, anyway. Mawindo would prefer it if this was dealt with mercifully.

Malaika could only stare in disbelief.

"Please, Malaika… I want this. You don't have to feel guilty," Mawindo assured him. He felt so very tired… The pain was increasing in intensity, too.

"But… I don't want to kill you," the lion said in a quivering voice.

"I know…" Mawindo managed a weak smile. "But you have to. I don't want to suffer… I'd rather that you do it now. Mercifully. Please…"

That was enough.

Malaika couldn't take it any longer. Tears streamed down his face.

He was going to do it.

"Of course I'll be merciful," Malaika assured him. "You won't feel a thing."

He hated it. It hurt him more than anything, but Mawindo had asked – and he would do what his friend asked him to. He loved him. He was his only friend. He didn't care about the species.

Mawindo had saved his life. The least he could do was grant his death wish.

Regardless of this, their friendship was going to last forever. Beyond life.

"So, how is this going to work?" Mawindo asked.

Malaika just lay next to him. He snuggled up to his friend. He wanted it to be as comfortable as possible. Well, as comfortable as death could be…

He still wasn't sure if he could do this… but he would try. For Mawindo.

"I'll do it. You just…" He swallowed a lump. "Lay here."

"Okay," Mawindo said, awaiting the darkness. "You know… I'm glad it's you."

"Huh?" Malaika was confused.

"I'm glad it's you… who'll do it," the zebra admitted.

_How can you be glad about that? I'm killing you!_

Malaika fought back tears. He had to stay strong. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to do the job.

"One last thing…" Mawindo had one final thing to say. "Thank you. For everything. If it wasn't for you, I would've never known what friendship was."

He took a deep breath, sniffling.

"I… I love you, Malaika."

And that was the last straw.

Malaika couldn't do it. If Mawindo continued to say such things, he wouldn't be able to do it.

"Stay still," he said, trying to block it all out. "It'll be fast."

The lion opened his big jaws, clamping them on the zebra's neck.

Mawindo could feel every single fang.

"Are you ready?" Malaika asked.

"Yes… Do it!"

And Malaika bit down, penetrating the skin. Blood started pouring out.

Mawindo let out a cry of agony.

Malaika instantly reduced the pressure.

But that was a mistake.

"_Ah!_ _You said it wouldn't hurt!_" he screamed.

Malaika couldn't take this. He was causing his friend agony now, but he couldn't bring himself to continue.

He broke down, crying…

"_No! Malaika, don't you dare! Argh!_"

Mawindo had been sentenced to a slow and painful death now. If Malaika didn't finish his job, the zebra would slowly bleed out in a painful state.

Malaika still had his jaws around Mawindo's neck, but he couldn't apply pressure… He could kill him at any moment, but he didn't want to.

Mawindo was desperate.

"_Come on! Do it! Don't leave me dying like this! You promised… You promised— Argh!"_ The pain silenced him again.

He had to do something to make Malaika continue… His time was running out.

"_Argh! Come on, you pathetic excuse for a lion! You can't even finish your work!_" Mawindo yelled angrily.

Malaika just continued to sob.

"You disgust me… You're too weak! You… you couldn't even protect Nafsi! That monster raped her! Because you were too stupid! If you didn't enter the cave, we wouldn't be in this situation! You are a failure… Do you hear me, Malaika? _You are a failure!_"

The word "failure" echoed through the cave.

The lion was enraged. Nobody had spoken to him like this before. It was too much for him to handle.

He completely forgot what was happening. He didn't care. All he felt now was pure rage.

Not caring in the slightest, he bit down with full force on Mawindo's neck.

Soon after, a loud _snap! _was heard.

And Malaika stopped. He realized what he had done.

He immediately let go of Mawindo's neck.

He stared at him with a traumatised expression.

"Ugh… Ah…"

The sound came from Mawindo…

He was still alive.

_Oh, no…_

Malaika leaned down and nuzzled him.

"Mawindo!" he cried. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"No…" The voice was extremely raspy.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't… I mean it," Mawindo apologized. "What I said…"

"I know… I know," Malaika sobbed.

"Malaika… thank you."

And that was it.

Mawindo was dead.

"No… no…" Malaika whimpered, leaning over the body of his dead friend. "No…"

He nuzzled Mawindo's corpse gently: a mark of respect for the pure soul.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "I'm so… sorry…"

The lion slowly rose from his spot, unable to take his eyes off of the deceased zebra. He didn't know what to say or do.

But as Malaika's sadness grew… so did the hunger.

_No guilt now. You can just reap the rewards._

_No… I won't do it. Not after that. I can't… eat him._

_It's what Mawindo would want. Are you just going to let him die in vain, you coward?_

_No! I can't… I won't._

_You must. You have to survive._

_Survive…_

He couldn't deny that his instinctive side – the side that _wanted _him to eat Mawindo – had a point. If he didn't eat Mawindo in order to satisfy his hunger, then his death would all be for nothing. He wouldn't cause the zebra any pain now… It would be a harmless action.

_Survive… _

Trembling with fear, Malaika bent down towards Mawindo's corpse. Tears were still flooding from his eyes; he couldn't stop them.

He knew he had to do the logical thing. He wouldn't let Mawindo die for nothing.

And so the lion began eating the zebra.

The predator tore away the chunks of meat, moaning and crying with every tasty morsel that slipped down his throat. Every little piece that dropped down into his stomach resulted in another knife through his heart. It was killing him on the inside.

He chewed and devoured and gorged on Mawindo's body, making sure that he swallowed every last fragment of meat. That was all a zebra was to a lion. Meat.

He was finally acting like a normal lion.

Malaika continued to feast on his delicious meal, licking away the blood that was smeared across his muzzle. Slowly – as more of the zebra's corpse was devoured – the hunger began to subside.

The lion finished off another mouthful of tasty Mawindo, feeling as though his soul was being ripped apart. He couldn't take much more of this.

It felt so right in his head – but so wrong in his heart.

Eventually, when Malaika couldn't eat another bite, he collapsed onto his side, his meal finished. Blood dribbled from his muzzle. He couldn't even be bothered to slurp it up.

He closed his eyes tightly, accidentally catching a glance of Mawindo's mutilated form. The zebra wasn't even recognisable anymore; he was just a worthless mash of flesh and gore. Nothing that anybody would care about.

The zebra called Mawindo was now only a faint memory.

_I'm sorry… _

His hunger satisfied, Malaika lay there.

Alone.

**A/N: Wow… I'm stunned just like you… **_**ThatPersonYouMightKnow**_** wrote the eating sequence because I had work and couldn't compose at that moment. I trust him. And boy, has it paid off… Incredible editing as well!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Endings**

Malaika had done it. He had committed – in his eyes – the most remorseless act possible. But it was his job. He was a predator.

But did he really want to be? Did he really like it?

Not anymore. And never again…

The taste that polluted his mouth felt horrible. It was like an acid, burning him from the inside and rotting his teeth. It was torturing him. It was… killing him.

Malaika avoided looking at Mawindo's corpse. It hurt to think about it, let alone look at it.

Mawindo was his best friend. And he'd killed him.

Ate him.

The lion felt like a monster. Sure, he was a lion; it was completely normal for him to eat zebras and wildebeests and other creatures. It was necessary for his survival.

But this was different.

Malaika had been forced to do it. He didn't want this. He never would have done it – but his friend had pleaded for death, and the poor lion was forced to grant his wish.

It was a painful experience, but he had to do it. Mawindo had saved his life, and the least Malaika could do to repay him was to do what he asked. Even if it was to end his life…

It wasn't fair. He wanted Mawindo to live. He needed him. Yes, he had Nafsi – at least, before that pathetic excuse for a lion Ubaya had forced himself on her – but this was something else.

Mawindo was his best friend. Malaika had never had a friend like him before. He was everything he wanted. He was happy with him.

But now… he had lost him. And it was all his fault.

Malaika was crying his eyes out. For Mawindo, for Nafsi, for his unfortunate life… Everything.

But everything that had happened to the golden lion was all because of one individual.

_Ubaya._

He hated him. Oh, he hated him so much…

He wanted to sink his teeth into his throat and rip it wide open.

Malaika was livid. He wanted Ubaya dead. He should've been the one lying on the ground there. Not his best friend.

Malaika glanced at the sealed exit. The rocks looked as though they were laughing at him. He could hear voices, too… The poor lion had gone insane after what had happened. He was now hearing things that weren't there at all.

It didn't matter. Whether they were real or not, the voices still managed to anger him. They were mocking him.

_It's all your fault…_

_You monster… You killed your best friend._

_How could you? You're pathetic._

"Shut up…" Malaika gritted his teeth. "Shut up…"

_You are a waste. _

_Mawindo won't ever forgive you._

"_Rah!_"

Unable to contain his anger, the lion leapt at the rocks, head-butting and clawing at them with all his might. He couldn't take this anymore. He had to get out, otherwise he would be stuck inside with Mawindo's decomposing corpse, and would probably go insane.

Malaika felt no pain as his head collided with the rocks. Pure rage was coursing through his veins, leaving him unaware of everything else that was going on.

For the first time in his life, he felt like a real predator. From the moment he had killed and eaten his own friend, he had changed. It had been a life-altering experience.

Quite literally.

_"__Argh!__"_

Malaika head-butted one the rocks one last time—

—and heard a _crack!_

The lion backed away as a series of cracks spread across the rocks, splintering away to reveal

It took a few seconds for Malaika to comprehend what was happening. He blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the harsh glare of the sunlight.

When he finally looked around, understanding that he had broken out of the cave, a sinister sneer spread across his face.

_I'm free._

It would have been frightening to witness such an evil look on his face – but who could fault him?

He had undergone more traumatic moments than any other living being. The experience had left him close to losing his mind.

"I'm coming, my king," Malaika rasped, his throat hoarse from too much crying. "You just watch."

With that, he dashed off like a rocket.

To find Ubaya.

Ubaya didn't know, of course. He was untouched by troubles. He had no idea that the lion who he'd personally wrecked had broken loose and was now coming for him.

The old lion was lying under the sun on his rock. He suspected nothing. He had no intention of going to the cave to check on his prisoners. He wanted to make them suffer for longer.

He didn't care, anyway. This was all in the purpose of pleasure. Ubaya wasn't planning on letting them out. They had to be fools to think that.

He was just going to leave them starve to death. Plain and simple.

Ubaya sighed. He was bored.

Having sent the lionesses out to hunt, he was now forced to wait for them to return.

Couldn't they work faster? He wanted his food, and he wanted it now.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, he then saw the lionesses returning with a rather large wildebeest. Thick and juicy. Blood dripped from its corpse as the beasts dragged it towards their leader.

Being the king, he had the right to eat first. His life couldn't be more perfect. Ever since he'd found this kingdom and taken it from Hekima by force, he'd been blessed. Ubaya had too much power. He'd always dreamed to be a powerful being, ordering around those who were lesser than him. He felt sick pleasure from making others miserable.

"Next time, I want you to be faster," he told the lionesses. "You make me starve."

The lionesses dragged the animal to him, and set it for their king to feast.

And he did so.

Ubaya pigged out on the prey. He devoured the chunks of flesh and meat, savouring his enjoyable meal.

But then a voice spoke.

"Enjoying your meal, huh?"

Ubaya stopped. He stared up, his mouth agape, causing the sloppy animal innards to fall from his mouth.

It was Malaika.

_What? _he thought. _How did he—_

"It's… _delicious_, isn't it?" Malaika took a step towards the corpse.

"All the blood and meat… It makes you want more. You can't stop."

When he was mere inches away from Ubaya, he licked his muzzle, cleaning Mawindo's blood that still stained his face.

"Delicious." Malaika's tone was cold.

Ubaya was utterly stunned.

"H-how did you es-escape?" he stammered, feeling slightly intimidated. He'd never felt like this before. It felt strange.

"Let's just say… I don't know my own strength," Malaika sneered. He looked deadly now.

"What do you want?" Ubaya asked uncertainly.

Malaika just laughed in response.

"What's so funny?" Ubaya narrowed his eyes. This made Malaika laugh even louder.

"What do I want? Oh, dear…" The golden prince sighed.

"You know very well what I want, _Ubaya_," Malaika said. "I want _you_. And I'll have you."

"And what if I say no?" Ubaya asked, counting his chances. They were poor. He was an old lion. He didn't stand a chance against Malaika, and he knew it.

In the end, Ubaya was just a coward.

"Well, I'll kill you, anyway," Malaika shrugged. "The choice is yours."

Ubaya seemed to consider this for a moment, but he didn't have a choice. If he was going to die, he would fight. Who knows? Maybe he would kill Malaika and the kingdom would still be his.

"Okay, then. Let's do it," Ubaya said. "I can finally get rid of you."

He stood up from the body, tensing himself up. Ready to fight. And, for all he knew, for the last time, too.

"If you're sure," said Malaika, also getting ready.

The two lions started circling each other. Malaika observed Ubaya for weak spots, as the villain did the same.

But Ubaya decided to do a little bit more damage…

"You want to know something?" he asked. "Your girl was so delicious…" He licked his muzzle for added effect. "I've never seen someone work like this on my—"

Ubaya couldn't finish because Malaika pinned him down.

"Is that so? _Well, let's see now!_" Malaika pressed down hard with his hind leg on Ubaya's groin.

The old lion roared in pain.

"Is _that_ feeling good?" He increased the pressure. "How about _this_?"

Ubaya was in agony. He couldn't escape from Malaika's grasp. Thanks to his youth, the lion was far too strong.

"Come on! Stop it! I thought you wanted to fight me! Wasn't that what you wanted?" The red-maned lion asked, desperate.

"Oh, most definitely. I just thought I would make you suffer before I kill you," Malaika replied. "It's not like you don't deserve it."

"Very well, then!"

With one swift move, Ubaya tripped Malaika and proceeded to attack him.

All the lionesses who were watching stayed in place, like they did when Ubaya was fighting their king.

They offered no help. They weren't allowed.

However, Malaika didn't need help at all. His rage was so great that it made him ten times stronger.

Ubaya was trying his best to outmatch him – but it was all in vain.

Malaika bit down on his shoulder, causing him to let out a cry. But the evil villain somehow managed to push him away.

"You're resisting, huh?" the golden lion said through breaths. "You'll give in eventually!"

He leapt at the old brown lion and threw him off balance.

That was it! Malaika had him right where he wanted him. There was no escape now. Ubaya was finished. He was going to suffer a painful death. Just like everyone else who he had tortured.

"It ends here for you!" Malaika growled. "You'll get a taste of your own medicine!"

Malaika was just about to commit the act, when suddenly… Ubaya started pleading.

"No! No… Please!" he begged. "Don't do it! You're better than this!"

Malaika just narrowed his eyes.

"Remember what your father taught you?" Ubaya said. "Never torture and kill."

Malaika suddenly remembered his father's words.

_Never make them suffer. Kill them immediately._

_But he deserves it!_ Malaika argued with himself.

_Maybe he does. But if you do it, you're no better than him. You'll be just as bad._

Now the lion understood what he had to do.

"Yes. I remember."

Malaika stood over Ubaya, preventing him from escaping his fate.

"But know this."

He leaned in towards Ubaya's ear, whispering.

"You still don't deserve it."

And then he bit down on Ubaya's neck.

_Snap!_

It was over within seconds, done in a quick and merciful fashion. Malaika had honoured his father's words.

The lionesses gasped, shocked.

Ubaya was dead.

And now Malaika was their new king.

However, he didn't think so.

He'd lost everything. What was the point in being king if he had nothing else to live for?

He took a sad step to his pride.

"Look, I know what you're thinking," he told them, his head hanging low, "but it's not going to happen. I won't be your king. I can't."

All the lionesses stared at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" one lioness said. "You _are_ our king. You always have been."

"Yeah, but you didn't bother to help me when he…" Malaika gestured to Ubaya's dead body, "trapped me and Mawindo. You just said I was insane."

He sighed deeply.

"I lost my best friend… and I lost my mate and son because of him." The heartbroken lion turned around, looking at the horizon. "I have nothing else to live for."

Malaika looked at his pride one final time.

"I'm sorry…"

And he sprinted away. He had made his mind up.

It was time to end his life.

Malaika raced through fields and over hills, heading for what he knew would be his final resting place.

The bottom of a cliff.

That was it. He was going to throw himself from the edge, and smile as his bones shattered to dust, ending his misery once and for all.

Malaika zipped through the land. He could see the edge of the cliff in sight. The land ended a few feet away from him, leaving nothing but a steep drop that was sure to kill anyone who fell from it.

The lion's paws pounded the earth, as he neared the edge. He didn't stop. In fact, he quickened his pace.

He was determined. He wanted to die.

Malaika took a deep breath as he ran, now mere inches away from the edge—

—when a lion cub suddenly appeared.

"_Wait!_"

Malaika skidded to a sudden halt, unable to stop himself from tripping and falling onto his back.

He stared up in shock at the lion cub.

"_You_?"

It was the cub from before. The one who'd told him to make friends with Mawindo in the first place. He'd forgotten his name… Hila or something.

The cub smiled at Malaika. "You wouldn't want to make that mistake," he told him, directing a glance at the edge of the cliff. "It's a nasty drop. You'd turn into quite a splat – and that's not exactly attractive."

Malaika burst into tears upon seeing him. "No…" he sobbed. "I have to do this… I want to die."

"And then this would all be for nothing," said the cub. He padded over to Malaika, sitting down beside him. "Malaika… you're the king now."

"No…" Malaika shook his head. "I'm nothing. I don't deserve to be the king."

"You killed Ubaya," the cub said. "It's your right."

"How do you know?" Malaika sniffled. "Were you watching?"

"I'm always watching," the cub said. "I know everything that's happened to you, Malaika."

Malaika stared into the cub's eyes. "Who are you?"

"I told you. I'm Haiba," he said.

"Yeah, but… how do you know about all of this?" Malaika asked. "It's… it's impossible."

"Even an angel needs an angel," Haiba told him. "Someone to look after them when they're in their darkest times of need."

Malaika wiped a tear from his eye, staring at Haiba.

"So you're… you're—"

"Yes," Haiba interrupted. "Unless you're thinking of something else."

"Then where were you?" Malaika demanded. "In the cave? Why didn't you help me then?"

"Because you didn't need me," Haiba said. "You had Mawindo."

"Mawindo?" It hurt to remember his name. Just the thought of him created a crushing sensation in his heart.

"Yes." Haiba nodded. "I told you, didn't I? You put aside your instincts, and what you received was one of the greatest friendships anyone could hope to have."

"But I… I killed him," Malaika said. "You were wrong. It didn't work out…"

"Rarely does anything end the way we want it to," Haiba explained. "Yes, Mawindo's passing was sad – but he will always be proud of you, Malaika. And he's in a much better place now. He's happy."

"He's h-happy?" Malaika murmured.

"Yes." Haiba placed a paw on Malaika's shoulder. "And he would want _you _to be happy, too, Malaika."

"But how can I move on after all of this?" Malaika asked.

"Mawindo's death will be all for nothing if you kill yourself," Haiba said. "You have to continue your life, in his honour. That's what he would want. No matter what – through life and death – you will always be friends."

Malaika sat there, considering Haiba's words.

And he slowly came to the conclusion that the cub was right.

He couldn't kill himself. He would be disgracing his friend's name… Like Haiba said, he had to honour him by continuing to live his life.

"You're right," Malaika admitted. "You're right…"

"I know," Haiba said, rising to his paws. "You have a family now, Malaika. Look after them. They're cute." He grinned. "Especially Nafsi."

Malaika chuckled. "Thanks."

Haiba backed away. "I have to go now."

"Will I ever see you again?" Malaika said.

The cub smiled. "You don't need me anymore, Malaika," he said. "You know now that you have to carry on. And, as long as you live your life the right way, everything will be fine."

"Are you sure?"

Haiba nodded. "Of course I'm sure," he said. "I love you, Malaika. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"Thank you," Malaika said, more tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Good luck," Haiba said with a wave.

And then he was gone.

Malaika sat there. Alone – but content.

He knew what he had to do now. Everything had been put into perspective for him.

"Malaika?"

The lion got to his paws upon hearing the voice, turning away from the cliff.

And then he saw them.

Nafsi and Yatima.

"Nafsi?"

Malaika slowly walked towards them, stunned.

"Malaika?"

The lion and the lioness stood face to face, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Malaika?" Nafsi said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…" Malaika nuzzled the side of her face, happy to be in her presence once more. "I'm okay. But what about… you? Especially after…" He didn't want to speak of the rape.

"I just want to put it behind me," Nafsi said. "But… but Ubaya—"

"He's dead," Malaika interrupted, shaking his head. "It's over."

Nafsi looked stunned. "You mean—"

"We can go home now," Malaika said.

"And…" Nafsi glanced aside, an uneasy expression on her face. "What about Mawindo?"

Malaika frowned. This was the hardest part. He didn't want to have to explain himself… but he had no choice.

"He didn't make it," the lion confessed. "I'll tell you everything later."

Nafsi looked deeply saddened. She shed a few tears, before nuzzling her mate.

"At least we have each other," she said.

Malaika glanced down at Yatima, who had remained quiet for a while now. He looked in a rather frail state.

"Yatima?" Malaika bent down, staring at his adopted son. "Are you okay?"

Yatima coughed. "I think so," he said quietly, almost sounding like a mouse.

"Ubaya hurt him," Nafsi explained. "His ribs are injured, but he should be okay after a while."

Malaika looked at his mate. "We'll look after him," he assured her.

Nafsi smiled. "Together."

Malaika smiled at his family. "Come on," he said. "Let's go home."

And the three of them walked back towards the pride.

Into a new future.

Malaika, Nafsi and Yatima lived relatively happily in the ensuing years, happily spending their time together as a family.

Malaika was the king. He ruled wisely and with responsibility.

He had nightmares occasionally. Nightmares about Mawindo's rotting corpse coming back to haunt him. But every time he woke up, he forced himself to pretend that nothing had happened at all.

He never went into the cave again. He was too sad – too ashamed – to do so.

But, one day, when he was much older, he did it.

He returned from his regular patrol over the kingdom, and decided that it was time. The nightmares were exhausting him. He came to a realization that if he didn't go there, then he would delve into depression once more. And he didn't want a repeat of that incident by the cliff…

Uncertainly, Malaika slowly walked into the cave, observing it. It was the same – except that now it seemed lonelier than before.

The now aged Malaika remembered the time he and Mawindo had spent together inside.

It brought back some painful memories.

He stood in the cave, feeling an unmistakable sense of both nostalgia and grief at the same time.

His gaze shifted downwards…

And then he saw them.

Mawindo's bones. They were lying on the same spot where Malaika last left Mawindo after eating him. The flesh had now entirely decomposed, leaving just the skeleton.

Malaika neared the corpse, feeling a stabbing sensation in his heart as he saw the zebra's skull.

"Hey there, buddy," he said happily – but his mouth was twitching; a sign of intense sadness and regret.

"You're still here," Malaika sniffled. "I'm sorry I haven't visited you in a while. I was busy, you know. I'm the king now. Great, huh?"

But Malaika couldn't mask the grief.

"It would've been awesome if you were still… here," the lion sobbed. "Yeah…"

He took a deep breath.

"I just came here to tell you a few things," Malaika began. "First of all, we're doing great. Nafsi is okay, and Yatima is growing into a handsome young lion. He's going to be the king one day… He asks about you. He liked you. He really liked you. And Nafsi wishes you were here with us."

Tears fell from his eyes, hitting the skull.

"You're my best friend, Mawindo. You're my brother…" Malaika cried. "I curse myself hundreds of times a day for what I did to you. I wish it were me in your place…"

The lion wiped tears from his eyes.

"But what's done is done. I can't change the past, even though I wish I could," the golden king said. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I hope… that you can forgive me."

Malaika leaned down and kissed the skull.

Just as he was about to leave, he turned around, smiling.

"Wherever you are, save a place for me," Malaika said. "I'll be joining you soon."

And, with that, he left.

"Well done," said a voice from behind the lion.

Malaika turned around, to see Haiba leaning against the cave wall.

"I had to do it," Malaika said.

Haiba smiled. "I know. I just wanted to be there to see it."

And then he disappeared.

Malaika never returned to the cave again.

Malaika's last years were peaceful and happy. He never had nightmares again.

He and Nafsi were together to the end. He trained Yatima and, one day, he became the new king. Malaika was very proud of his son's success.

Then, after so much time, the lion died in his sleep. Old and fragile.

And, after a long life, he had finally achieved what he wanted.

Peace.

**The End**

**A/N:** Whew… That was a lot of work! Sadly, we've come to an end.

I know how much you love the story but everything good has its end, right? Maybe not….

Oh well, at least you've enjoyed it! No? Oh, okay…

I've enjoyed writing it with my great friend TPYMK!

Having said that, do you know something? I bet you have no idea who inspired Mawindo's character!

So, any guesses?

Oh, come on! You're supposed to say something here! You're killing all the fun!

"Mental note: People can't talk vocally in a letter. It's not physically possible."

Anyway… The person who inspired Mawindo is…

*Dramatic music…*

*More dramatic music!*

*Even more dramatic music!*

*Still keeps going!*

*Any minute now!*

*The music is just so dramatic! It's a shame you can't hear it!*

The person who inspired Mawindo is… ThatPersonYouMightKnow!

Yes, I'm serious.

He's inspired Mawindo. And I'll tell you why.

From the moment I send him my first PM about the story to this day, he's been nothing but a huge help!

We worked together on this project and it actually, brought us closer. Now we are best friends! There's not been a day in which we haven't talked. We chat like crazy!

But how's that inspired Mawindo?

Well, it's not that… I just wanted to mention it.

The thing that inspired the character was ThatPersonYouMightKnow's personal story.

I won't go in detail but I can tell you that his childhood was really tough…

His story is the ultimate show of a strong will.

Strong will and mental strength. His incredible dedication and love for the things he does and loves has given birth to Mawindo.

He's a really inspirational person. You just… have to know him. And you might now him. But, I'm telling you. This guy is just… incredible. Literally. He's the next big thing. Just wait until his book gets published! You'll know then. Believe me. You'll tackle him for autographs!

I just can't thank him enough… He's helped me so much.

He didn't have to do it, but he did. I was so surprised and so happy when he said he likes the story!

He's positive feedback installed a confidence in me to write this story!

And he helped along!

Thank you, ThatPersonYouMightKnow! I wish you all the success and happiness! You deserve it!

**AN: **Hello, everyone! I'm ThatPersonYouMightKnow, the "co-writer" of _Instinct_, so to speak. I've been helping Angel out with this wonderful story ever since he wanted me to become his beta reader for it. Of course, I accepted. How could I not? I love the concept!

I assumed that my participation would just involve me helping out with grammar and such, but I enjoyed the idea so much that I just wanted to make an even bigger contribution to it. I've been refining and improving the dialogue and description of every chapter you read, trying to make it as good as possible! And my involvement actually resulted in this becoming something of a collaborative effort. We've been swapping ideas back and forth all of the time, and I actually got to write some of it, which is a bonus! I even got to work Haiba into the story, so that's a nice treat for any fans of my other works. (All two of you.)

It's been quite an experience writing _Instinct_ with Angel. We've actually become really great friends while working on the story, and I'm utterly stunned to learn that Mawindo was based on me – and some of my more harrowing life experiences – all this time. I can't praise Angel enough for disguising that quite cleverly, too. He's a great writer, a devoted friend, and I'm proud to have worked on this with him.

To sum it all up, _Instinct _has been one of my best writing experiences. I normally hate working with others – I'm one loner of a writer – so this has been a pleasant surprise. It's my favourite story that I've read here, and I don't think that'll change for a long time to come. I love it to death.

Thank you for this, Angel. It's been absolutely brilliant.

So, all I can say now is thank you for reading our little tale, and I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Oh, and please don't eat me, either. I taste terrible.

Take care,

—ThatPersonYouMightKnow


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